Weekday Sketcher in Concrete Park Wednesday

Concrete Park?!?  Sounds like an oxymoron.

Join us on Wednesday to learn that it isn't an oxymoron but an imaginative repurposing of an old industrial site into one of the newest parks in the city. Located along the Bronx River, this former concrete plant was abandoned for more than 30 years before the city turned it into an enjoyable recreation area with kayak launch sites, walkways, seating areas and event spaces.  With the old industrial machinery as a backdrops this facility will offer us some unique sketch sites. 

Bring a stool, lunch and a sense of playfulness as we sketch, walk and enjoy this unique park. 

DATE:  WEDNESDAY OCBOTBER 2, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  CONCRETE PLANT PARK. 

                       Whitlock Ave and Bronx River near Westchester Ave

TRANSPORTATION:  6 TRAIN TO WHITLOCK AVE

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387

WEDNESDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Bush-Holley House Museum

October 2nd

The Bush–Holley House is a historic house museum in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut. It was constructed circa 1730 and in the late nineteenth century was a boarding house and the center of the Cos Cob Art Colony.  From the early 1890s until the 1920s the Holley House was the gathering place for a group of artists and writers who were members of the first Impressionist art colony in Connecticut. The Cos Cob Art Colony played a major role in the development of American art. Leading American Impressionist artists gathered to discuss their work and to teach. Among the early members were Childe Hassam, Ernest Lawson, Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman and J. Alden Weir.

DETAILS:

DATE: WEDNESDAY October 2nd

Start time 10:00 AM.

LOCATION: Bush-Holley House Museum, Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT 06807 https://greenwichhistory.org/ Phone: 203-869-6899

DIRECTIONS: https://greenwichhistory.org/visit/

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Greenwich Historical Society is within easy walking distance from the Metro-North Cos Cob train station (less than a mile). From the New York bound side, head east on Strickland Road. From the New Haven bound side, walk under the tracks at the far end of the platform and turn right on to Strickland Road. Greenwich Historical Society is on the left just past the I-95 overpass.

LUNCH: 1:00 PM. We will have lunch by the picnic area.  Bring your own or choose a box lunch or a selection from the cafe.

NOTE: We need to know your selection at least two days ahead to reserve your lunch order:
SANDWICHES available:
Honey Baked Ham and Swiss
Oven Roasted Turkey/Swiss
Italian Combo (Ham, Salami, Pep, Provolone
Straight Flush (Fresh Turkey, Havarti cheese, Cranberry Mayo
Chicken Salad
Tuna Salad
Roasted Chicken Breast

Garden Salad with Egg and Vegetables
Greek Salad

All sandwiches come with Tomato/Lettuce (you can request no Tomato/Lettuce) and are available on Grain, Rye, White or Roll or Wedge Roll. Most of the sandwiches come with special Grain Bread. Sandwiches are $6.99 to $7.25.

The BOX LUNCHES are between $10.00 - $12.00 and include sandwich or wrap, water or soda, chips, cookies or apple. Your choice of Turkey/Swiss, Ham/Cheese or Chicken Salad. If you would like a salad instead of sandwich it may be an extra $.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, we will share our drawings and tell stories.  This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

- Bring a stool if you have one.  It gives you more options.

- Dress for sunshine.  Bring a hat, water and sunscreen.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net 

• Please indicate your selection if you plan to purchase your lunch from the cafe.
• A couple of spaces are left for October 7th at Shettemuc Yacht Club in Ossining. Please let me know if you'd like to go. 

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-6507.

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

SUNDAY: Sketch Hunters Point Historic District.

Hunters Point is on the south side of Long Island City. The Historic District is a national historic district that includes 19 contributing buildings along 45th Avenue between 21st and 23rd Streets. They are a set of townhouses built in the late 19th century.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The area used to be part of the Van Alst family’s farming empire. The Van Alst land was purchased by Eliaphas Nott on behalf of Union College in 1861, and then purchased and developed by two fellows named Root and Rust in 1870. Most of the buildings in the historic district are actually from the 1890s, and even in the 19th century this area was considered special – it was “White Collar Row” and home to LIC’s bankers and elected officialdom.

Battle Ax Gleason

This historic district features a row of forty-seven townhouses built between 1871 and 1890 in the Italianate, French Second Empire and Neo-Greco styles. Original stoops, lintels, pediments, and other details can still be found on many of the homes.

In the late eighteen hundreds the area was home to established families and prosperous citizens including “Battle Axe” Gleason, the last mayor of Long Island City (before the consolidation of New York,) resided on 12th Street (now 45th Avenue).  Gotta love that stache!


DETAILS
WHEN: 10am Sunday September 29th  (As always, wake up late? Come anyway!)

WHERE: Meet at the corner of 45th Avenue and 21st Street.  We will be spending the day on 45 between 21st and 23rd Streets.

HOW:  By Subway to Court Square and 23rd St using the E or M train, or the G train to Court Square

LUNCH:  12:00  Noon - You can bring your lunch or rely on stores and vendors  We will find an outdoor spot in the shade to sit together.

AFTERNOON:  1 PM - Back to sketching

SHOW and TELL:  3 PM.  This is the social part of our day.  We'll meet outdoors - probably at our lunch spot to share our day's drawings and tell thrilling art stories. 

NOTES:

-  Anticipate full sun.  Bring a hat.  Sketching can be like sunbathing.  Be prepared.
-  Bring a stool if you own one. It gives you so many more options. 

Click to Enlarge

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Weekday Sketchers at the Plaza in front of The Plaza Hotel

Some facts you might not know about the plaza in front of the Plaza Hotel 

• It is called Grand Army Plaza
• The fountain is called the Pulitzer Fountain after Joseph Pulitzer who left $50K in his will to have it built.
• There is an equestrian statue dedicated to General William Tecumseh Sherman
• And.....there is now a giant tilted head sitting in the middle of it!
• Plus there are sculptures of other "horse parts" nearby

Join us this week to capture all of this including beautiful scenes of the Plaza with the greenery of the trees in from of it. There is also an installation of modern horse sculptures by Jean-Marie Appriou based on the Sherman statue that should be interesting subjects for us. 

 After lunch we can wander into Central Park or try to sketch the Apple Store Cube. 

The Tilted Head

Willian Tecumseh Sherman

Pulitzer Fountain

Sculptures by Appriou

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Bring a stool, lunch and a hat.  Looking for us?  Call Raylie Dunkel 201-978-6387

DATE:TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: GRAND ARMY PLAZA MANHATTAN 

                       5TH AVE AND 58TH/59TH STREETS

TRANSPORTATION:N, R, W to 5th AVE/59th St Station.

SUNDAY: Sketch Gramercy Park

I used to live nearby and at times walked through Gramercy Park on my way to work.  As crazy as the city sometimes gets I always felt a sense of tranquility in this neighborhood.  The tree lined streets, the stately brownstones and town houses, the beautifully kept park all contributed.

If you ignore the parked cars, the alternate side of the street parking signs, and the way the pedestrians are dressed - it could almost be NYC in the 1890s, before the twentieth century, before movies, radio, television and so many things.  The infrastructure is all there, almost completely untouched, waiting for us to capture its beauty in our sketches.

DETAILS

WHEN: 10am Sunday September 22nd  (As always, wake up late? Come anyway!)

WHERE: Meet at the corner of East 20th Street and Irving Place. 

LUNCH:  12:00  Noon - You can bring your lunch or rely on stores and restaurants on Park Ave South or Third Avenue.  We will find a spot in the shade by the park to sit together.

AFTERNOON:  1 PM - Back to sketching the Gramercy area.

SHOW and TELL:  3 PM.  This is the social part of our day.  We'll meet outdoors - probably at our lunch spot to share our day's drawings and tell stories. 


NOTES:

-  Anticipate full sun.  Bring a hat.  Sketching can be like sunbathing.  Be prepared.
-  Bring a stool if you own one. It gives you so many more options. 

If you can’t find us

call or text your host Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

FRIDAY: WESCHESTER NYC URBAN SKETCHERS at UNTERMYER GARDENS

September 20th

Untermyer Park is a historic 43 acre park, located in Yonkers, NY, just north of New York City. Also known as Untermyer Gardens, the park was previously part of an estate known as Greystone. Situated on a hillside above the Hudson River, the park features a "Grecian garden" (actually a Persian Paradise garden), a small Grecian-style amphitheater, a classical pavilion, pergola, statuary, a rock and water feature called the "Temple of Love" and a "Vista" staircase. To the west, the park has views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.

The gardens were developed during the first 40 years of the 20th century by prominent lawyer and civic leader, Samuel Untermyer. Untermyer devoted approximately one third of what was then Greystone's 150-acres to its gardens, which were considered among the finest in America.

DETAILS:

DATE: FRIDAY September 20th.

Start time 10:00 AM.

LOCATION: Untermyer Gardens, 945 North Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701

Phone: 914-613-4502.https://www.untermyergardens.org

We will meet by the Community Center just inside the entrance to the park.

NOTE: There are two small lots with spaces for about thirty cars next to the community center at Untermyer. In addition, there is street parking along North Broadway which is both metered (coin operated) and unmetered.

DIRECTIONS: https://www.untermyergardens.org/visit.html

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Take the Metro North – Hudson Line north to the Greystone Station. Please contact Marianne (phone number below) if you would like to someone to meet the train and provide a ride from the station.

NOTE: The gardens are a 20 minute uphill walk from the station: walk uphill from the station to find the stairs on the left to Warburton Avenue. Climb the stairs. Cross Warburton Avenue and go up Odell Avenue until it ends at North Broadway. Turn right on North Broadway and walk to 945 N. Broadway, which is on the right. Caution: this is a significant uphill walk of more than 200 feet in elevation. The Greystone Metro-North station does not have a taxi stand.

LUNCH: 1:00 PM. We will have lunch by the designated picnic area.  Bring your own as the park has no options for purchasing food.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, we will share our drawings and tell stories.  This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

- Bring a stool if you have one.  It gives you more options.

- Dress for sunshine.  Bring a hat, water and sunscreen.

- Garden etiquette: Stay on the paths or lawns.

- Do not walk or set up stools on beds.

Pease RSVP to Cathy Gutterman

cathygutterman@verizon.net 

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-6507.

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Weekday Sketchers at Pier 15 Wednesday

Join us on Pier 15 on the East River for great sketching opportunities of the Brooklyn Bridge,  the ships at South Street Seaport, and the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan. There is also a bonus sketching possibility with an outdoor sculpture exhibit under the FDR highway.

DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPT 18, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  PIER 15 

                        EAST RIVER BETWEEN FULTON AND MAIDEN LANE

TRANSPORTATION:  2. 3 TRAIN TO FULTON ST. 

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387. 

SATURDAY: Sketch Governors Island

We missed our big chance to sketch guys like this by about one hundred years.  Fear not! Camp Doughboy World War I History Weekend is this weekend at Governors Island.  This is the largest free public WWI exhibition in the United States. Reenactors representing the Allies and Central Powers — as well as civilians in Edwardian-era attire — are invited living history participants. It's also the centennial of the service members returning to Governors Island from World War I.  See history come alive - and be there with your sketch pad.

Governors Island also has stunning views of the NYC skyline.  You can also stand on the exact spot where the car insurance commercials are filmed - the ones that feature the Statue of Liberty?



DETAILS:
What: 
We're going to spend the day sketching at Governors Island.

When:
This Saturday, September, 14, 2019   We're taking the 11 AM Ferry.  Not a morning person?  Hey, come anyway - whenever. Bring the contact phone number so you can find us.

Where: 
Governors Island - Only reachable by Ferry (don't forget to sketch the ferry ride). The Governors Island ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan.  Visitors disembark at Soissons Landing

How: 
Passengers ride free on Saturdays and Sundays before noon.  After that ferry tickets are $3 per with discounts for Seniors and Students.

Possible subways include:
-   1 at South Ferry from westside of Manhattan. You can take the 2 or 3 express train to Chambers Street. Please be in the first 5 cars. Any cars behind the conductor can not unload at South Ferry.

-   R at Whitehall from Forest Hill, Queens, midtown Manhattan, Coney Island, Brooklyn

-   4/5 at Bowling Green near

From Manhattan:
Ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building, on the corner of South and Whitehall Streets. (departs every 30 minutes until 5:30)

From Brooklyn:
Ferries leave from Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 at the foot of Atlantic Avenue. (departs every hour)

Lunch:  1:00 PM - We'll break for lunch and socializing with some sketching thrown in (of course).  Although the concessions have great food the lines are long. Bringing a picnic lunch might be good.  We will probably eat at Colonel's Row (see map). That will be confirmed once we're there.

Afternoon:  1:45 - Back to sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 - To share drawings, good stories.  We'll meet at the lunch spot.

Click to Enlarge

Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

SUNDAY: Sketch Coney Island

What is more New York than Coney Island?

We've got ocean.  We've got sand.  We've got rides, and families, sunbathers, swimmers, vendors, food, ice cream, hot dogs, cotton candy, frisbee players, picnickers,  sea gulls trying to steal food from the picnics, artwork, murals, freakshows, and airplanes dragging long advertising banners.  

 If you're a sketcher trying to capture a little of the world around us, ... what's not to like? 

Caution:  Although it appears we'll have a great day for our Coney Island sketch, but we'll be watching the weather.  We'll post any changes to our Sunday plans to our blog, our Facebook Group and in an email blast.

DETAILS

WHEN:   Meet this coming Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway, call or text me (see contact info below) to find us.

WHERE:   Meet at the corner of West 12 and Surf -  by the FreakBar

LUNCH:  12:00 PM - Noon - Loads of choices including bring your own- or purchase from vendors.  We'll decide on a good spot to eat together.

AFTERNOON:  1:00 PM - Back to sketching.

SHOW AND TELL:  3:00 PM - The social part of our day, where we'll share sketches and good stories.  Most likely we'll meet where we had lunch

NOTE:
-  Bring a hat!  There is NO SHADE.  Sketching can easily turn into a day of unexpected sunbathing.
-    Bring a stool if you have one, it gives you so many more options.

If you can’t find us

call or text your hostess Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Weekday Sketchers Schedule September/October

Here is a list of sketch dates and site for September and October.  Please note that dates and locations can change due to weather and circumstances. Please check the blog post or facebook for the weekly announcements.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2019            Chinese Scholar's Garden Snug Harbor SI

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY SEPT 10/11.         TRIP TO MYSTIC SEAPORT

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2019           Pier 15 plus sculptures by Seaport

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2019               Pulitzer Fountain in front of Plaza Hotel 

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2 2019                   Concrete Park, Bronx NY

THURSDAY OCTOBER 10, 2019                    DUMBO, Climbing walls and TONY balcony views

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2019             Harriet the Hippo & City in the Grass, Flatiron Plaza

THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2019                  Hudson Square Sculptures on Varick St

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2019              Greenwood Cemetery Halloween decor