Great Camp Sagamore, Blue Mountain Lake, 2014 New York Plein Air Painters Retreat

Ten artists and one spouse who was a photographer attended this years retreat at Great Camp Sagamore near Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks. It's nice to have all your meals prepared and be able to get right back to where you had left your easel set up and continue painting. One day was pack you own lunch from well supplied options and I used that day to travel about 16 miles to Blue Mountain Lake and paint the view from the observation deck, high up at the Adirondack Museum.  About a month before the retreat I saw a PBS TV show on the Raquette River which featured a view of lake from the observation deck and I emailed the Museum to get permission to paint the view (after paying admission of course).

Lake Sagamore Exploration Tools

 The Raquette River is the third longest in New York Sate (146 miles,235 km), the Hudson being the longest.Historically, the river was a part of the "Highway of the Adirondacks", by which it was possible to travel hundreds of miles by canoe or guide boat with short stretches of portage connecting various waterways. This route is still followed by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile (1,190 km) canoe trail from Old Forge to Fort Kent in Maine. It is also the basis of the route of the Adirondack Canoe Classic, a three-day, 90-mile canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. Blue Mountain Lake is one of the lakes in the River's Chain which eventually enters the St Lawrence Rive near Massena at the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne .
My favorite painting below is of Blue Mountain Lake (11 x 14 oil on stretched linen). At 10:30 AM when I set up the sun was out and roasting me in my wool shirt.About 11 AM it clouded over and stayed that way. This gave me about four hours without the light changing too much. I captured  the land and  reflections values in a burnt sienna under painting  quickly and  then worked on the detail. The 

Blue Mountain Lake

canoe rack above has a sign "Use by Permission Only" and also has a couple paddle boards (12 x 9 inch oil on linen panel).
The Boat house below  has two row boats, multiple aluminum canoes, and some kayaks that you just sign out  and in on your own. Personal flotation devices and paddles of all sizes are available. (10 x 8 oil on linen panel) Prevailing winds are away from the Boathouse so the paddle back is a little longer-don't be late for dinner!
The Lake Outflow is just below the Boathouse.
The afternoon light (4 pm Sept.) is shut off by the trees along the stream while the sun still illuminates the Lake. This is an 11 x 15 watercolor and pen. It was started 4 pm Monday afternoon  with watercolor washes. Tuesday afternoon the ink drawing was superimposed followed by more watercolor. Back home after the trip I put a final wash on the stream and lifted the lights on the rocks.

Sagamore Lake Outflow

Great Camp Sagamore Boathouse