Passion for plein air painting drives us to explore new adventures. Two weeks ago a group of 35 plein air artists enjoyed a lifetime dream of traveling to Japan as painters and as tourists on a special trip envisioned by Eric Rhoads, Publisher of PleinAir Magazine and a painter himself, and his wife, Laurie.
Their once-in-a-lifetime adventure covered 580 miles across three regions, including the sights and sounds of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kawaguchicko (Mt Fuji), and included hotel stays, meals, transportation, and touring experiences for 11 nights. In addition to painting almost every day at temples, cherry blossom-filled parks, and exotic sites, exploring the beauty and culture of Japan, they also experienced dressing in a kimono, meeting with traditional Geishas, taking a Japanese calligraphy class, and visits to unique art stores and art museums, and more.
“I plan an international trip each year to do plein air painting in places people may not go on their own,” Eric said. “It’s a great way to see the world and have everything provided so you don’t have to think about where to go, how to find a meal, where to stay. You only have to think about showing up each morning and having everything done for you. We always find experiences people are unlikely or unable to do on their own.”
What’s it like to paint in Japan?
Artist Karen Weihs says, “Eric has the best touring team to transport artists and nonpainters like my husband, to a culture and experience of the highest standard. We have been on two trips and will continue going as it’s worth the many extras he and his team give to us. You don’t have to worry about the details. It’s done. Just sit back and be amazed!”
Artist and film producer Gabriele Savage Stockton said, “This is my second amazing international trip with Eric and Co, and I would follow them anywhere. We had so many special, unique, cultural experiences unavailable to most tourists. There is no way I could have planned this custom trip myself.“
Barbara Israel Bortniker said, “Truly, the best part of the trip was the participants. Everyone was so friendly, lively, clever, fun-loving, open-minded, and curious about everyone and everything around us. While we all shared a love of art and an obsession with art making, each of us had very diverse personal backgrounds and fascinating stories. I think we would have had fun as a group together anywhere in the world, but being in Japan opened our eyes to a new way of seeing, a fresh aesthetic, and a fascinating culture.”
Enjoy this recap of Plein Air Japan – a bucket list painting vacation – and stay tuned at Plein Air Today and OutdoorPainter.com to learn about the next artist trip so you don’t miss out.
On their first day, they painted in a giant park filled with shrines and cherry blossom trees. Although the blossoms were not in full bloom yet, there were thousands of tourists taking pictures of those early bloomers. Fortunately, the group was able to return to the park at the end of the trip and enjoyed an amazing view of thousands of pink and white blossoms.
The trip started and ended in Tokyo. Upon leaving the city, they embarked on bullet train rides that departed from two of the busiest stations in Japan – Tokyo and Kyoto. The bullet trains were an exceptional experience, running like clockwork as the group of 35 had to exit the train with bags and painting supplies in less than 1.5 minutes, along with other passengers from the general public. Challenge conquered!
Along the way, the group experienced interesting and unique foods served hot, cold, wiggly, and jiggly, often not knowing what they were eating, but everything was a delight. Everyone tried something and was treated to the finest five-start cuisine in Japan. In many cases, a meal was 12 courses long and brought out one small dish at a time over a two-hour period.
“The Plein Air Japan trip was my third international trip with Eric Rhoads,” said Melissa Moffett. “I love the excitement of seeing old friends and meeting new friends at our destination. Everybody is always so nice and easy to get along with. We visit towns, temples, museums, and many scenic places to paint. There is never any stress or pressure. Just a fun time with a nice group of artists.”
The group enjoyed a personal Geisha and Maiko performance (in Kyoto, a Maiko is a Geisha in training and does not yet wear a wig). One Miako played a traditional three-string Japanese guitar while the others danced. The artists also played a traditional Japanese game, which involved picking up a block at a high-speed rhythm, grabbing it from a partner, and trying to trick them into not tapping their hand in the proper way.
Though there were many highlights of the trip, many will never forget painting the temples and old thatched-roof villages of Japan, and of course, the magnificent Mount Fuji.
“I’ve made some of my closest lifetime friends through these trips and have discovered artists that I was unaware of previously whose work we may end up featuring in the magazine,” Eric said.
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Additional, Unforgettable Experiences from Plein Air Japan:
The group also visited two local art stores: One called Pigment sells raw pigment and calligraphy supplies and has a beautiful display of very unusual art materials and colors. In another part of town, they found a five-story art store filled with every imaginable art material, including suppliers and supplies we don’t have access to in America.
They spent time with Deer at Nara Park where thousands of tame deer roam, saw the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue, a National Garden Park, a Flower Park, Nijo Castle, Osaka Castle, Todaji Temple, a Bamboo Forest, Toei movie Studios with lots of paintable scenes, and attractions at Mt Fuji – to name a few.
Other exceptional experiences included calligraphy lessons, learning about bonsai trees from a 94-year-old bonsai master, and seeing a 1000-year-old $1 million bonsai tree.
The best part of the trip for most was developing deep friendships over dinners, traveling, and painting together. Everyone in the group will be staying in touch and hope to travel together again, to Eric’s next-to-be-announced destination. “Everyone grew very close,” Eric said, “and I am honored to have met and become friends with so many wonderful people.”
They returned home more educated about Japan’s culture, with special paintings and drawings made on location for years of memories to come.
To get a feel for the full agenda you can visit pleinairjapan.com and of course, watch OutdoorPainter.com and Plein Air Today to be in the loop for the next amazing trip for artists.
The next international painting trip will be announced soon!
Fantastic! Thank you.
What a wonderful trip. I wish I was on it. I appreciate to at least get a small inside look through your experience. I found the cleanness factor interesting. Coming from Germany, I am quite familiar with cleaning up your environment, though the Japanese seem to top us.
I am looking forward to see some of the art in PleinAir Magazine.
Heidelinde Cislip