10 August- September 2019 / http://www.outdoorpainter.comW
rappingupthe9thannual
Adirondack painting
adventure, I realized that my
life is all about community. In
the Adirondacks, we’ve formed our own little
community of artists who gather year after year.
Some have passed; others have moved on; yet
most continue to return, having looked forward
to it all year. And each spring, new artists join
the family. Though the event is packaged as a
week of painting in beautiful surroundings, one
artist put it best when he said, “I come to spend
a week with the people I’ve grown to love. The
painting is just a bonus.”
When I started these Publisher’s Invita-
tional events nine years ago, I could not have
fully appreciated what they would become. For
me, it was an excuse to take a week off to paint
in a beautiful spot. Little did I know that some
of my best and deepest friendships would come
from this time spent with others who hold a
common interest. It has deeply enriched my life
and the lives of those who attend the events.
Next year, the 10th annual, will be a
family reunion, where those who’ve skipped a
year or two can come back to reconnect and
paint together. Knowing this, most of the
people who attended this year have already
signed up for next spring’s event. It’s gratifying
to see how these experiences change lives. I
heard from another artist this year, “I had no
idea what to expect, but I did not expect it to
be life-changing, which it was.”
The gratification we receive when painting
and spending time together is deep. Connecting
at plein air events, paint-outs, the Plein
Air Convention & Expo, or events like the
Invitationals has become so much more than
any of us anticipated when we became part of
this community. We’ve become friends with
collectors, gallerists, community leaders, and
other artists, and we’re all experiencing a sense
of community that many of us don’t get in our
own towns or from our own families. Plein air
has come to mean family.What we do, you and I, is deeply meaning-
ful. We paint; we engage our creativity, which
makes us happier. We meet others and paint with
them, which makes our world very social. We
paint to preserve forgotten or soon-to-be-lost
landscapes. We preserve Americana with projects
like the recent En Train Air trip, which allowed
the artists involved to document the shrinking
cities along an endangered rail line. Artists like
Joe Paquet and John Cosby preserve forgotten
villages, and Charlie Hunter, old bridges and
silos. We find beauty where others rarely look
for it. Though many of us chase extraordinary
landscapes, waterfalls, and vast mountain peaks,
some of us find inspiration in industrial scenes
and back alleys, opening the eyes of others to the
beauty in unexpected places.
Whether we’re collectors or artists, we’re all
part of the plein air community. It’s a worthy
endeavor and one we owe future generations the
opportunity to share in, which is why I encour-
age others to paint with me and ask you to
invite others along when you paint as well. Let’s
spread the plein air painting bug!We, the family of plein air painters and
collectors, are rewriting history. We’re calling
attention to beauty, to the value of preserving
our landscapes, villages, and cities. I’m honored
to be a part of this community and thank you
for joining me on the journey that is, for each
ofus,a lifewelllived.B. ERIC RHOADS
CHAIRMAN/PUBLISHER
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 512.607.
Facebook: /ericrhoads
Twitter: @ericrhoadspublisher’s letter
THE PLEIN AIR LIFE
WELL LIVED