SATURDAY - December 4th - Salzburg - Storybook Austria

  

Join us for a day of virtual sketching, immersed in the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, following in the footsteps of the Von Trapps, and exploring the castles, fortresses, cathedrals, opera houses and splendid gardens of Salzburg, renowned for baroque architecture.

Sketch-worthy Salzburg is a a story-book town, burrowed below steep hills looking much as it did when Mozart lived here 250 years ago. Beside the fast-flowing Salzach River, your gaze is raised inch by inch to graceful domes and spires, the formidable clifftop fortress and the mountains beyond. The richly preserved urban fabric was developed over hundreds of years from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its flamboyant Gothic art attracted craftsmen and artists before the city became even better known through the work of the Italian architects Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santinin Solari for its Baroque appearance.

Let’s explore the lavishly frescoed chandelier-lit palace, a fortress with a million dollar view and a town which was the back drop for The Sound of Music. This is where Maria (Julie Andrews) waltzed on her way to mass at Benedictine Nonnberg Abbey, belted out "I Have Confidence" as she frolicked in the fountain on Residenzplatz, and taught the von Trapp kids to tunefully sing Do-Re-Mi in the gardens of Mirabell Gardens.

Salzburg will surprise you with a flourishing arts scene, gourmet food, a world-famous music festival, gardens, and quiet side streets where classical music wafts from open windows, and concert halls that uphold musical tradition 365 days a year. Everywhere you go, the scenery, the skyline, the music and the history send your spirits soaring higher than Julie Andrews' octave-leaping vocals.

Alps soaring above its dome-encrusted baroque skyline and cliffs dropping to the river like a theatre curtain, Salzburg envelopes you with an intriguing atmosphere that welcomes you to explore this glorious UNESCO World Heritage site. Let’s meet the artists and their creations which transformed this sparkling gem called Salzburg.

 

There are no fees. All skill levels are welcome.

 

Registration for this virtual event is required. Use the following link at Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-music-art-of-salzburg-austria-tickets-214331901487?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse

 

Photographic references for this event are provided below:

https://619742422bfc9.site123.me/

Future Events:

Saturday, December 11th - Morocco

Saturday, December 18th - Holiday Traditions Around the World

www.zazzle.com/nycurbansketchers/products

Weekday Sketchers at Cast Hall

Join us as we return to a favorite sketching site, the Institute for Classical  Architecture and Art's Cast Hall.

Long ago, before the Met Museum was the major institution that it is now and could afford the real statures that we now see in the Greek and Roman Galleries, they displayed plaster casts of the original statures.  Once the real statures replaced the plaster casts, the casts went into storage and were largely forgotten. Then the Met donated them to the ICAA, who restored them and put them on display in...Cast Hall.

This bright sunny room will be our home for the day.  Bring your watercolors, bring your lunch but don't bring a stool as there are tables and chairs for us to use.   For more information about the ICAA, its services and trips, click here:https://www.classicist.org

But wait!  That's not all!

The building that houses the ICAA, The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, is an artifact by itself,  with a Lock Museum, a multi-level library with a stained glass ceiling, beautiful hallways, railings and an incredible sculpture of an arm (you have to see it for yourself).  When you get tired of drawing the statures walk into the hallway and sketch this building that is a true hidden gem of NYC. 

DATE:  WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1, 2021

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  THE INSTITUTE FOR CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE AND ART 

                       THE MECHANICS AND TRADESMAN BUILDING

                        20 West 44th Street NYC

TRANSPORTATION: B, D, F, M to 41nd Street/Bryant Park Station or 7 to 5th Ave Station. 

                        

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445. 

Thanksgiving Sketching

 

​There is no planned sketching event for this coming Sunday 

during our Thanksgiving weekend.  

Have a wonderful holiday with family, friends and your loved ones. ​

Sunday: Sketch the American Wing

 

Looks like we’ll be sketching indoors for a couple of months.  The autumn light has been beautiful.   This coming Sunday, November 21, 2021 we’ll be sketching in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum.  

I’ve often thought that if the wing was its own museum, all on it’s own, it would be very impressive.  Another attraction for the American Wing is that the lighting there can be wonderful to sketch on a sunny day - providing wonderful shadows.  (see photo)

 

DETAILS

What:   We’ll be sketching in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum  (see attached map)

Where:   The Metropolitan Museum is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue.  The main entrance is at E. 82nd Street.  However, I usually enter the museum using the small entrance off of E 81 Street.  The signs imply it's a school entrance, but anyone can use it.  You can usually get in more quickly there.

When:  Start time - 10 AM.   Running late?  Messed up by the subways?  Come anyway - we'll be there.

How:

By Subway:  

-   From the east side take the 6 train to 77th St. or the 4,5 or 6 train to 86th St.  Walk three blocks west to Fifth Avenue. This walk is about a half mile and takes approximately 10 minutes.

-   Or travel up the west side and walk across Central Park, by taking the C train to 81 St or 86th.   It’s a slightly longer walk crosstown taking the Broadway line 1 train to 79 St or 86th.  

If you prefer to take a bus instead of walking - Take the 1 train to 86th Street, then the M86 crosstown bus across Central Park to Fifth Avenue; OR take the C train to 81st Street, then the M79 bus across Central Park to Fifth Avenue.

By  car:  

The museum has its own parking.  The Museum parking garage, located at Fifth Avenue and 80th Street, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A parking discount is available to Museum Members and Patrons during Museum operating hours. To receive a discount, Museum Members and Patrons must have their tickets validated at the Uris Center for Education Membership/Visitor Information Desk.

Lunch:  We'll break at 12:00 to have a luncheon in the cafeteria one level below the American Wing.  See the attached map for the location of the stairs.  We’ll meet in the back of the cafeteria.  Bring your own food if you prefer or purchase from the cafeteria.

Afternoon:  1:00 PM  Yes!   More sketching.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - Meet back in the cafeteria to share sketches, tell stories and talk about art supplies.

NOTES:

-    The Museum’s policy is pencils and dry media only.  It is unevenly enforced

-    The coat check is no longer available and you’ll need to carry everything you bring

-    Stools are permitted, although they are not used frequently.  You’ll also need to carry it the entire time.

-    Purchasing a ticket in advance saves time.  Or, just show your card if you are a member 

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.

 

SATURDAY - November 20 - Celebrating Thanksgiving Around the World

 

Today fellow sketchers let’s travel online to explore the history of seventeen nations celebrating Thanksgiving around the world. Grab your favorite art supplies as we create works of art of a holiday filled with gratitude.

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2021 occurs on Thursday, November 25th. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the civil war, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

One of the most famous thanksgiving traditions in the United States happens in New York City every year - the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The first parade marched down Broadway in the winter of 1924, and in the years since, it’s grown into an event with more than 3.5 million spectators. The history behind the festivities and larger-than-life balloons is just as mesmerizing. The original parade route started at 145th street and Convent Avenue in Harlem and continued six miles to Herald Square. The parade itself was small, about two blocks, but the route was almost three times as long as it is today. The boisterous processional included Macy’s employees marching to the flagship store, as well as floats, professional bands, and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The parade was a huge success, and within a week, Macy’s announced that New York City should set aside the morning of November 25, 1925, because the parade would be back next year. Ninety five years later 3.5 million Americans will gather on Thanksgiving day to watch the parade in person.

The United States isn’t the only nation with a holiday dedicated to gratitude— There are 17 nations that celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving traditions from around the world. It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest. Canada, Grenada, Japan, Norfolk Island, Germany, Liberia, Netherlands and Puerto Rico just to name a few celebrate their own versions of  a “harvest of thanks” holiday.  Sketchers let’s immerse ourselves into the rich history and background of time honored celebrations, festivals and rituals throughout the world.

There are no fees. All drawing skills are welcome.

Registration for this virtual event is required. Use the following link at Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-celebrating-thanksgiving-around-the-world-tickets-208008758797?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Photographic references for this event are provided below:

https://618751c31e4cc.site123.me/

www.zazzle.com/nycurbansketchers/products

THURSDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson

 

Croton Point Park is a 508-acre park situated on a peninsula on the east shore of the Hudson River. This park offers year-round events and activities and has facilities for camping, hiking and swimming and is the site of the Croton Point Nature Center.

The park, rich in natural and human history. In the 1800s the Underhill family owned the land that is now Croton Point Park. Grapes, watermelons, and apples were grown. A brickyard was also on the property. A few buildings built with these bricks are still standing at Croton Point. The park is the site of the Croton Point Nature Center and home to several historic sites such as a set of wine cellars from an old manor that are thought of be the oldest in New York State.

 

DETAILS: 

DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 2021
Start time: 10:00 AM

LOCATION: 
Croton Point Park, 1A Croton Point Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. Phone: (914) 862-5290.

https://parks.westchestergov.com/croton-point-park

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/search/Croton+Point+Park,+Croton-on-Hudson+NY/@41.190927,-73.890781,14z?hl=en

Travel from Grand Central Terminal, NYC:  Take the Metro-North Hudson line to Croton-Harmon Station. The Park is about a 14 minute walk (1.5 miles) from the station.  If you would like a ride from the station to the Park, please contact cathygutterman@verizon.net

 

LUNCH: Please bring your own snack/lunch and beverage.  There are no food options at the Park.

SHOW and TELL: 1:00 PM. We will share our drawings and tell stories. This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

• Parking is free.
• A Westchester Park Pass is not needed after Labor Day.
• Dress in layers - the forecast is for 63 degrees.
• Portable restrooms available.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766. 

Weekday Sketchers at American Folk Art Museum

What is a weathervane?  A useful tool or a work of art? 

 The current exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum tries to answer the question by taking this mundane tool and presents it as a work of art.  Join us as we admire the work left behind by craftsmen long gone. Their skill and the patina, weathered by time, will afford us an opportunity to capture these beautifully mundane objects in our sketchbooks. 

For more information on the exhibit please visit the museum website:

•  https://folkartmuseum.org. 

Or read these articles: 

• https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/08/a-first-rate-weather-vane-show-at-the-american-folk-art-museum/
• https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/its-time-to-remember-weathervanes-one-of-americas-oldest-crafts

NOTES: 

• The entrance to the museum is free but you should make a reservation on line through their website 
• You will have to show proof of vaccination to enter the museum
• Bring a stool and your art supplies but be prepared to work in dry media if necessary.  
• It is a small museum so be respectful of other passing through the exhibit. 
• We will go across the street to Alice Tully Hall to eat in the atrium and have our throw down. Bring your own lunch or purchase something locally.
• The museum shop is one of the best in the city, make sure to stop by.
• Please RSVP directly to Raylie at raylie@verizon.net
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2021

STARTING TIME: 11:30 (the museum opens at 11:30)

LOCATION:  AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEM

                        2 Lincoln Square (Columbus Ave between 65th and 66th Streets)

TRANSPORTATION: #1train to 66th St Lincoln Center

SATURDAY - November 13 - Jordan and the Lost City of Petra

Sunday: It’s People Sketching Time

 

We’ve been visiting interesting places, sketching bridges, and lakes, buildings and the changing colors of the trees, but it feels like we’ve been neglecting the actors that fill these spaces.  People!  The most glorious and the most difficult subjects to draw!  (If they’d only stand still for a moment.)

On Sunday we’ll be in Washington Square Park, an incredible history-filled park at the center of Greenwich Village.  It is a space where you will always find interesting people in an urban setting.  The perfect place for us to practice our people sketching skills.

The Promise:   If you come, ... there will be someone in the park, ... doing something so memorable that you’ll be glad you were there to sketch it!

DETAILS

What:   We’ll be sketching in Washington Square Park (see attached maps below.  One shows where we’ll be meeting and the other shows the walking route from the nearby subways.)

Where:   Meet on the grass to the left side of the arch as you face north.  (Looking up 5th Avenue.) 

When:  Start time - 10 AM.   Running late?  Messed up by the subways?  Come anyway - we'll be there.

How:

By Subway:  

• West 4th St. stop on the A,C,B,D,F or the M train
• The 8th Street Stop on the R or W trains.
• The Astor Place stop on the 6 train.

By  Car:  

Parking is usually challenging in the village, but on Sunday there is no alternate-side of the street parking rules limiting the number of spots.

Lunch:  We'll break at 12:00 to have a luncheon on the grass.  (Probably at our meeting spot) Bring your own food and drink or depend on the vendors in the park or the stores nearby.   

Afternoon:  1:00  Yes!   More people sketching.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - When we will share our sketches, tell stories and talk about art supplies.   Location to be determined.  (Probably at our meeting spot)

NOTE:

• Bring a hat (for the sun - hopefully!)
• Dress in layers (it’s that time of year)
• Bring a stool if you have one, it gives you more options.  

map #1 - click to enlarge

map #2 - 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.

WEDNESDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Croton Gorge Park

The Old Croton Dam, built to supply New York City with water, was the first large masonry dam in the United States. Completed in 1842, it was the prototype for many municipal water supply dams in the east during the mid-nineteenth century. The city’s needs, however, soon outgrew the Croton Dam water supply. Consequently, work began on the New Croton Dam, also called the Cornell Dam because of its location on land purchased from A.B. Cornell, in 1893. Completed in 1907, the Cornell Dam stands over 200 feet high. The Croton Reservoir has a capacity of about 34 billion gallons of water with a watershed covering 177 square miles.

Croton Gorge Park is a 97-acre property at the base of the Croton Dam and affords impressive views of the dam and spillway. The park is a popular spot for fishing, picnicking and hiking, with direct trail access to New York State’s Old Croton Aqueduct, which begins here. The Croton River also begins here. The bridge that spans the Croton River and affords the best view of the spectacular spillway.

DETAILS: 

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021. 
Start time: 10:00 AM

LOCATION: 
Croton Gorge Park, Route 129, Cortlandt, NY 10566 Phone: (914) 827-9568

Directions:  (35 Yorktown Rd, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 using online maps)  https://www.google.com/maps/place/NY-129+%26+Croton+Gorge+Park,+Cortlandt,+NY+10520/

LUNCH: Please bring your own snack/lunch and beverage.  There are no food options at the Park.

SHOW and TELL: 1:00 PM. We will share our drawings and tell stories. This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

• Make sure you dress warm - the forecast is for 60 degrees.
• Portable restrooms available.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766. 

Weekday Sketchers Visit Construction 

Have you ever seen a bridge made out of ham? 

A building made out of tomato soup? 

An amusement part made out of vegetables? 

NO?  Then  join the Weekday Sketchers this Wednesday as we visit Brookfield Place to see this year's Canstruction Competition. 

Each year engineering, architectural and design companies create sculptures made entirely out of canned food.  Completely self supporting each "canstruction" comes with a statement about how their entry represents an answer to world hunger.   The sculptures are available for viewing only a few days each year after which they are taken down so that the food can be donated to  soup kitchens for the Thanksgiving meals prepared for hundreds of people throughout the city. 

For more information about the event and the cause to eliminate food insecurity, click here:https://bfplny.com/canstruction/?mc_cid=861e93e771&mc_eid=fc8d56bd89

Please RSVP to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445.  This will be our first indoor sketch event this season, so no need to bundle up for a cold day.  Bringing a stool is a good idea. 

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2021

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: BROOKFIELD PLACE in the World Trade Center.  

                       We will meet under the palm trees in the Winter Garden

TRANSPORTATION:  Any subway line that comes into the World Trade Center. 

Sunday: Sketch the Light

Walking in Central Park's Ramles

​
We’re saying goodbye to Daylight Savings time.  We’re saying goodbye to the summer greenery.  We’re saying goodbye to our autumn colors.  I think we can all sense that the remaining days when it will be warm enough to sketch outdoors this year, are also coming to a close.

Our focus this Sunday, November 7th will be a specific area in Central Park.  As you might be aware, this Sunday is the NYC Marathon.  There will be hundreds of thousands of visitors in the city.  Many will be focused on the finish line in Central Park.  This will only add to the sense of the day’s excitement, but we will be carefully avoiding the Marathon crowds.  Pay particular attention to the travel suggestions below to get to our meeting place.

We will be sketching the Belvedere Castle with it’s beautiful view across the little lake in the morning.  The city did a magnificent job cleaning and sandblasting the structure which is also a weather observatory.  We’ll have our lunch in that area too.  The afternoon will be spent sketching in The Rambles, the deeply wooded area just south of the castle.

​Belvedere Castle

DETAILS

What:   We’ll be sketching in Central Park (see attached maps.  One map shows where we’ll be meeting and the other shows the route the marathon will be using.)

Where:   Meet on the grass at the lake in front of Belvedere Castle

When:  Start time - 10 AM.   Running late?  Messed up by the subways?  Come anyway - we'll be there.

How:
-   Avoid the East Side.  Approach the park from the West.
-   By Subway:  Take the B or C train to 81st Street (that’s the Museum of Natural History stop).  Enter the park across the street.  You can also exit the same train at 86th or 72nd Streets, but it’s a somewhat longer walk.
-  Also by Subway:  Take the 1 train to 79th Street and walk from Broadway to Central Park West. Enter the park.

Lunch:  We'll break at 12:00 to have a luncheon on the grass.  Bring your own food and drink or depend on the vendors in the park.  

Afternoon:  1:00  We’ll move as a group into the Rambles.  We’ll be sketching in small groups so pick a partner or two.  If you’re new we’ll make introductions and get you situated.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - Location to be determined.  We'll share drawings, tell stories and talk about art supplies.


NOTE:
-    Bring a hat (for the sun - hopefully!)
-    Dress in layers
-     Bring a stool if you have one, it gives you more options.  

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

Click to Enlarge - Map of Meeting spot

​

​Marathon Route, avoid traveling across their path

​

​Cool NYC USk Merch!​

SATURDAY, Nov. 6th - Indigenous Peoples of the World

 Let’s sketch, draw and paint the Indigenous Peoples also known as First Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, or Native Peoples as we travel around the world online. The Indigenous peoples have a special relationship with the land on which they have lived for tens of thousands of years. They possess critical knowledge about how to manage natural resources and act as guardians of the land for future generations. 

There are more than 370 million Indigenous Peoples around the world, spread across more than 90 countries. Indigenous Peoples consist of more than 5,000 different groups speaking over 4,000 languages. Today, the Sami peoples of Scandinavia, the Maya of Guatemala, numerous tribal groups in the Amazonian rainforest, the Dalits in the mountains of Southern India, the San and Kwei of Southern Africa, Aboriginal people in Australia, and, of course the hundreds of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico, Central and South America, as well as in North America thrive and celebrate their cultural history and practices.

The diversity among communities of Indigenous Peoples, each of which has its own distinct culture, language, history, and unique way of life. Yet, Indigenous Peoples across the globe share many of the same common values derived in part from an understanding that their lives are part of and inseparable from the natural world.

Join us for on-line sketching of the Indigenous Peoples of the World. 

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

Registration is required for this virtual sketching event at Eventbrite.com link below: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-indigenous-people-of-the-world-tickets-202080587477

Photo references for Indigenous Peoples of the World are provided below:

https://617c85fb6db25.site123.me/

Future NYC Urban Sketcher Zoom events are as follows:

Saturday, November 13th - Lost City of Petra in Southern Jordan

Saturday, November 20th - Family Feasts & Thankfulness 

Saturday, December 4th - Music & Instruments

Saturday, December 11th - Morocco

Saturday, December 18th - Let’s Celebrate the Holidays

NYC Urban Sketcher Merchandise - Click below:

https://www.zazzle.com/store/nycurbansketchers/products