TREAT YOURSELF TO A WEEK OF PAINTING
Fall Color in Door County
Wisconsin with Old & New Friends.
A private painting retreat with PleinAir Magazine's Publisher Eric Rhoads
Sept 28 - Oct 5, 2024 | The Lodge at Leathem Smith
Treat Yourself to a Week You Can Look Forward to...
Something magical happens when you paint for seven days in a row … you become a better painter.
Even moremagical, you’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime, and you’ll experience the plein air lifestyle in one of America’s most beautiful spots.
Put Life on Hold…
At home, you’re dealing with life, with family, chores, caring for others, work, cooking and cleaning … but at Fall Color Week paint camp, we do the cooking and cleaning so you can focus on painting and giving yourself a break.
And let’s be realistic … if you tried to paint all day, every day for a week at home, you would get pulled into things other than painting, no matter how hard you tried to stay focused. You’d probably never be able to dedicate that kind of time to your painting, which means your progress would be much slower than you’d like — and that’s discouraging.
An Invitation from Eric Rhoads
testimonials
People are Talking
Unleash Your
Creativity
Who wouldn’t want to just have everything in life provided, and just roll out of bed and paint?
The perfect Typical Day at Fall Color Week:
Picture this … one full week of getting to do what you’re so passionate about — paint. We go outdoors to paint all day, every day. One spot in the morning and a different spot in the afternoon. You can stick with the group or break out and paint on your own — whatever works best for you!
We provide you with a map of spectacular painting locations, and each day we provide two options to go with the group. Group 1 is a little more adventurous and may require some hiking. Group 2 is all easy access, mostly roadside painting. On some days we all paint together in one place, which is loads of fun.
We start by serving you a hot breakfast and sharing announcements for the day. You pack a sack lunch, go painting for the day, and later we serve you dinner. After dinner we gather to chat with new friends, sing-along, cocktails or painting portraits or nocturne painting a couple of nights. And if it rains too much, we’ll set up inside and paint still life or we’ll paint the lake from under the porch overhang.
Typically at night we sit around the campfire to sing, listen to some live music (bring your instrument if you wish), and get to know one another.
Like Summer Camp for Painters
Fall Color Week is like summer camp, only better! It’s held in the fall (when it’s cooler!) at beautiful locations that offer the most incredible fall colors for you to paint. Like summer camp, you’ll make great friends and great memories. Prepare to laugh a lot.
No workshops, no demos, but lots of lessons…
Fall Color Week is about painting and making friends. This isn’t a workshop, and you’re not there to watch demonstrations. But by painting for a week with others, you’ll learn lots of great lessons. We all help one another. And unlike a workshop, where there is the stress to perform, this is all about taking time and practicing what you already know.
Stunning Beauty Right Outside Your Room
You’ll be right in the middle of the beauty in Door County. You don’t have to go more than a few feet to see stunning scenery. If you happen to show or sell paintings for a living, you undoubtedly know that seven days dedicated just to painting beautiful spots will give you lots of new studies to sell or use for inspiration and bigger paintings. Fall Color Week is exactly what you need to become a better painter in a shorter amount of time.
No Pressure, No Sales, No Drama
Fall Color Week started as an escape for painters who were constantly traveling from art show to art show and were unable to paint with friends because of the pressure to sell paintings. Though we put our paintings out at night for all to see (only if you want to), there is no public show, no sale, no competition, no awards. Got drama at home? You won’t find any drama at Fall Color Week. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. This is all about having fun, relaxing, and letting your hair down.
Paint Beautiful Fall Sceneries
Each year, we meet up during the peak fall color week at a location where the surroundings offer the absolute best colors to paint. But we also pick spectacular locations that you would love anyway, just in case the leaves are late. This year, it’s Door County, Wisconsin, where you will see some of the most vibrant colors on earth. You’ll breathe in the crisp fall air and suddenly feel the desire to start painting on the spot … and that’s just the beginning.
A “One Price” Inclusive Adventure
When you sign up for Fall Color Week, you’re getting an all-inclusive experience. The entire event, lodging, meals, and the opening and closing parties are included in the price. Best part? You don’t have to cook, clean, or do chores of any kind. You don’t need to make your bed or clean your room. There’s no pots and pans you’ll have to deal with and you won’t be cleaning the kitchen. Just roll out of bed, grab your coffee, sit with friends as you wake up … and paint all day. After dinner, head to your cozy room and dream about your amazing day.
Who Attends Fall Color Week?
Who Attends Fall Color Week?
Anyone who loves to paint. We have beginners and experienced pros. We all paint together, we are one family. There is no hierarchy — we are all equals.
Fall Color Week was designed for people who don’t have Fall color in their area, or people who just want a week of fun and painting.
It’s great for people wanting to experience the plein air lifestyle. People who love the outdoors and wish to try plein air painting without the difficulty of doing it on their own (though there are no demos or workshops, we all help one another). Most of all, people come to Fall Color Week because they love to paint and be with other painters in the amazing scenery.
There’s a lot of value in just showing up, having everything taken care of for you, and being told where to paint (or getting a map of the best painting spots and heading out to paint on your own or with your group of friends). That is what keeps people coming back year after year.
All ages over 18 are welcome. Our oldest attendee has been over 90. We offer easy “out-of-the-back-of-your-car” painting spots, plus some you can hike into if you’re up to it. You do need to be mobile enough to walk with your gear.
September 28, 2025 - October 5, 2025
Door County, Wisconsin
Price: $2,997*
* Payment plan option available
Includes: Painting event, map, registration bag, 7 nights lodging, 8 days of meals, opening and closing party
Meals: All meals are provided (no cooking or cleaning!). Please see Important Notes for special meal accommodations.
Vehicle: You’ll need a vehicle to travel to painting locations or have a friend with a car. Please plan to rent a car if you’re flying in or find ridesharing opportunities by joining the private Facebook group. You’ll be provided the link once you register for Fall Color Week. This private page is a great way to get to know people, find a roommate if you need one, and make new friends before you arrive for the event.
Lodging: Attendees will be staying at The Lodge at Leathem Smith