Arts, Crafts & Garden   

Watercolor is a luminous and versatile medium that invites creativity and discovery. In this course, students will explore foundational watercolor techniques, including wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, color mixing, and composition. Through hands-on practice, students will build the skills to create vibrant, dynamic paintings. We’ll focus on both technique and artistic planning, ensuring that each student feels confident in approaching their watercolor projects. Designed for both beginners and those with prior experience, this course fosters a supportive and inspiring environment where students can experiment, grow, and unlock their creative potential. Join us and spark your imagination as you bring your watercolor visions to life!

Take a look at some pictures from Jackie Meier's past classes here.

A delicate craft thousands of years old, the “pysanka” is a Ukrainian egg decorated with traditional folk designs using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word ‘pysanka’ comes from the verb ‘pysaty,’ meaning “to write” because the intricate designs are not painted, but rather written on the eggshell with melted beeswax. Every symbol and color applied has its own specific meaning. It is believed that some pysanky could even protect households by trapping evil spirits deep within spiral motifs. Other geometric designs were stylized representations of wishes: pine needles for eternal youth, the sun for long life, antlered deer for prosperity, poppies for beauty, birds for fertility, and wolves’ teeth zig-zags for loyalty and wisdom. Why not try your hand at making a pysanka? Join us at the table and write your own story on your own egg. 

This class will help you prepare your garden for spring and will focus on natural steps that enhance insect and animal life, including healthy soil and the use of organic products. We will discuss the importance of a vibrant selection of native plants and annuals that will encourage pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, birds, and other critters (even if they are not native), in our gardens. Participants are welcome to bring questions to class that pertain to their own garden beds. Informational handouts, book titles, and weblinks to follow up on the information talked about during the session will be provided.

In the second part of this class, participants will choose from a selection of annual flowers, which they will then sow, and bring home. Soil, seeds, and various containers will be provided. Follow-up instructions will be provided for planting in the garden, and soon, you will enjoy your beautiful plants.

The Outdoors Contained will provide all your floral supplies to create a beautiful tabletop flower arrangement. They will teach you tips to choose flowers, color palette, how to cut your flowers properly, and the best ways to make your arrangement last the longest. You will take home a small floral arrangement.

They will also show and teach you how to create a beautiful outdoor arrangement, including the thrillers, spillers, and fillers sequence. Plus, how to choose the best plants, longest lasting, colors, and where to place the plants within the pot. They'll discuss the four seasons of planters and what to use to last through the whole year. The Outdoors Contained will also touch on care and how to successfully make your planters last a full season.

Take a look at some pictures from The Outdoors Contained's past classes here.

The Outdoors Contained will provide all your floral supplies to create a beautiful tabletop flower arrangement. They will teach you tips to choose flowers, color palette, how to cut your flowers properly, and the best ways to make your arrangement last the longest. You will take home a small floral arrangement.

They will also show and teach you how to create a beautiful outdoor arrangement, including the thrillers, spillers, and fillers sequence. Plus, how to choose the best plants, longest lasting, colors, and where to place the plants within the pot. They'll discuss the four seasons of planters and what to use to last through the whole year. The Outdoors Contained will also touch on care and how to successfully make your planters last a full season.

Take a look at some pictures from The Outdoors Contained's past classes here.

Inspired by Impressionist masters like Van Gogh and Monet, this outdoor pastel drawing class will teach you to capture light, color, and movement in nature. Surrounded by the blooming trees and lush greenery of Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, the warmth of the sun and the fresh spring breeze will inspire your creativity.

Unleash your creativity in this hands-on workshop, where you’ll design your very own unique silk art scarf. Using vibrant Colorhue Instant Set Dyes, you’ll explore a variety of dyeing techniques, including the timeless art of shibori (folding and binding to create stunning patterns). Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, this workshop offers something for everyone. You’ll learn how to mix colors, experiment with dynamic patterns, and dive into the fascinating world of silk dyeing. By the end of the session, you’ll have your own beautifully crafted scarf to take home – a perfect gift for yourself or someone special. Join us for a fun, creative experience and leave with new skills, inspiration, and a handmade scarf that’s as unique as you are.

Inspired by the Japanese method of metal forge modeling, this class will adapt similar techniques to transform polymer clay into a mokume gane design. Students will learn the step-by-step approach and then create jewelry pieces and/or a trinket bowl out of the clay designs. Finished pieces will be baked and sealed before class ends.

Watch a short video introducing mokume gane here.

Take a look at some pictures from Carlise Azmitia's past classes here.