A common scene at the Publisher's Invitational events (the next one is Fall Color Week - details below)
In the stunning landscape of the Adirondack Mountains, a large group of painters joined Eric Rhoads for the annual Publisher’s Invitational artists retreat. Enjoy the following photo album of special moments from this year’s “summer camp for artists.”
“It was exciting to see old friends and make new friends,” Eric said. “It’s hard to explain what it’s like unless you experience it for yourself.”
“There’s so much to see – every corner you turn is a beautiful scene.”Painting together, on their own. There was such a wide variety of people. There were highly experienced painters, and there were people who were brand new to plein air painting. This year when a couple of new painters got discouraged, others who were more experienced encouraged them, gave them hints and tips, and took them under their wing.A lot of first-timers said the week had exceeded their expectations and that it was a pretty amazing thing to experience.There’s always a wide variety of people – introverts, extroverts, seasoned and experienced painters and people who’ve never painted en plein air or were very new to painting in general. All are welcome.Eric Rhoads in action – Unlike other parts of the country, the weather was unpredictable, but that didn’t stop the group from finding a way to paint en plein air. It ranged from incredibly sunny days to partly cloudy, and even some rain. The temperature even varied quite a bit, from warm to cool, throughout the days.With spectacular views everywhere, it was interesting to see how some glossed over the obviously beautiful scenes to focus on more personal concepts of beauty, such as fallen logs or green, mossy areas.On one of the rainy afternoons, some chose to visit a covered bridge that was worth the hour-long drive. One of the benefits of attending the Publisher’s Invitational is finding gems such as this to paint in person. They also had the opportunity to paint at a dairy farm.Artists found that there was a feeling of friendship throughout the week; It truly is a “paint camp,” with everyone bonding throughout the days.Every morning the artists have breakfast together, gather their sack lunches and snacks, and then divide into groups for either adventurous locations, such as rocky cliffs, or easier-to-access places.An artist finds shade while painting in a more convenient location.In the evenings, everyone would gather and share their work from the day (there were hundreds and hundreds of studies and paintings by the end of the week). There was also the option to paint nocturnes or practice with a live model, as you see here. Another favorite is when folks break out their instruments for group sing-alongs – always a great way to bond!“It was unexpectedly amazing,” said Ali Cruickshank (left), a Streamline staff member and friend to many artists. “It was obviously stunning and beautiful, but I also met the most amazing people there.”There were plenty of places to walk around and find the perfect scene to paint, including this rocky river.Eric pauses to chat with an artist who found the perfect scene.The Publisher’s Invitational is the perfect way to paint somewhere beautiful AND make new friends in the plein air art community.Some found a place to park their setup on this wide walkway with a view.The beauty of the area cannot be overstated.The 2023 Publisher’s Invitational “Paint Adirondacks” group of new friends
On the last day of the retreat, there is a closing dinner party, which took place in a room that was used in a scene from the TV series “Billions.”
Eric added, “Everyone had a chance to develop deep friendships and so there were a lot of sad goodbyes on the final day.” While it’s sad to say goodbye, we know that many will be returning next year and so we’re looking forward to that reunion.
