Last weekend, Cathedral in Bloom 2025 hosted a before-hours Open Studio for visual artists to draw and paint from the work of Capital Region floral artists.

*Above: The Cathedra by Louis Bower Bannister of The Enchanted Florist and Gifts of Albany, Founding Chair of Cathedral in Bloom.*
*Below: Watercolor by Sheryl Brown Galinski.*

Below: The Lectern by Janine MikaBella Flora Studio of the Capital District

*Above: The Lady Chapel Entrance by Beth Roddy of The Cathedral of All Saints*

Of the almost thirty artists who came, several worked in the baptistery, surrounded by carvings of Louis J. Hinton, the stone carver who spent forty years of his life carving the interior of the Cathedral with the natural forms he drew from nature over a century ago.

*Above: The Baptistry by Jim Dempsey of Studio Herbage in Johnstown*

Above: drawings by James O’Boyle of The Baptistry Doors by Donnie Bennett, Jr. of Donald Bennett Designs, Oppenheimer

*Above: Watercolor by Pamela Stendardi of floral art in The Columbarium from The New York State Capital District*
*Sogetsu Study Group: Genii Rutherford, Kathleen Zutter & Joanne Esposito*

Above: Drawings by Melissa Mansfield of Saint Michael’s Chapel by Jess Goblet Beretz of Farmhouse Floral Design, Middleburgh (pictured below)

Above: Photos by Sheryl Galinski of The Lady Chapel Altar with flowers by Karen Redick-Mott of Fairytale Florist in Saratoga, and of a portraits with flowers drawing demonstration.

*Above and below: Photos by Ottavia Huang.*

Many of the artists who came belong to Urban Sketchers Albany: www.Facebook.com/UrbanSketchersAlbany, a community who meet and make art together, and welcome new members.

Above: Urban Sketchers Albany in front of the Nave Altar by Lee Longell and Thom Dieffenbacher of Bedminster Florist, New Jersey

Thank you for sharing your artwork with the Blog. We hope to see you making more at Cathedral in Bloom in 2026!