Camp David Drawing Invitational: A Weekend of Art, Community, and Rediscovery
West Shokan, NY – June 13–16, 2025
Words fall short when trying to describe the experience I had last weekend during the Camp David Drawing Invitational—but I’ll try.
From Friday through Monday, I was part of a group of 20+ artists who gathered in West Shokan, in the Catskills, for a retreat that was entirely centered around drawing. The event was organized by artists Jean-Pierre Roy of Soft Eyes Art Social, Esteban Ocampo of El Workshop, and Avi Gitler of Gitler & Gallery, and the goal was simple: draw all day, every day, surrounded by nature and good company. It was exactly the kind of reset I needed.
Drawing, All Day, Every Day
There was no agenda, no pressure to perform. Just a full long weekend of uninterrupted time to sketch, observe, experiment, and connect. We spent hours capturing each other drawing or the surrounding landscape out in the open, with sketchbooks in hand and the mountains in view. From the property you could see the Ashokan Reservoir, with its expansiveness reduced to a tiny sliver of water that could be seen through the trees. It was reminiscent of a Thomas Cole painting, and I felt happy and grateful to be there. I intended to work in a variety of media during the weekend, as per usual pens and sketchbooks were on hand, but I also worked with pastels, and watercolor. Pastel is a material I hadn’t touched in many years, not since I was 17 years old, but as of last year I’ve had the need to try it out again. Others used color pencils, graphite, and even oil paints for quick plein air studies. No media was wrong, all that mattered was to use the time we were given to create magic.
On Sunday afternoon, we shifted gears slightly when a model joined us to pose outdoors. This was part of the Soft Eyes Art Social upstate edition—a day open to artists who couldn’t attend the full retreat but still wanted to draw and be part of the magic. The model graciously posed in the open air for three hours, and the whole gang was loving the experience. A lot of good drawings came out of that session.
Real-Life Connections from a Digital World
One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend was how many artists finally got to meet face-to-face after years of following each other online. I met Camilo Carreño and Denis Dalesio (from the online artist community Cane Yo), whose work I’ve admired on Instagram for years. I had no idea they’d be part of the group, their presence and their connection to each other as it solidified more was a special thing to see. Camilo even gifted us drawings from his sketchbook—something so generous and completely unexpected.
There was a lot of fan-girling and admiration—artists trading sketchbooks, hyping each other up, and just genuinely enjoying what everyone brought to the table. I also made new friendships with Lorena Correa, a Brooklyn-based tattoo artist, and Esteban Ocampo, who runs El Workshop in Bogota, Colombia and was introduced to me through Jean-Pierre. These connections are what really make this kind of retreat stick with you.
At nights, we gathered by the fire, sketchbooks still out, drinks in hand, while Sophia Kayafas and Angela Gram provided live music. There was this easy joy in the air—no need to document it or make it content. Just being present and drawing for the sake of drawing.
A Shift in My Own Practice
It’s been years since I’ve drawn that much, that consistently, over such a short period of time. As someone who works primarily with landscape imagery, I don’t normally sketch people. But over the weekend, I found myself doing quick portrait studies in my sketchbook, letting go of the pressure to make something “finished.” That freedom reminded me that drawing is a way of observing and investigating, not just producing.
The whole experience allowed me to loosen up, rediscover myself as an artist and take small risks that eventually can lead to great changes in my practice. I fell in love again with the act of mark-making—without expectation or outcome.
Supporting the Next Round of Artists
One special aspect of the Drawing Invitational is that each participating artist donates work to Gitler & to help raise funds for next year’s retreat. The proceeds go directly toward supporting the next group of artists—covering room and board, and making sure the experience continues to grow.
If you’re curious, you can see available works from this year and last year’s Drawing Invitational here:
Gitler & Gallery Invitational Drawings Store
In Gratitude
I’m incredibly thankful to Jean-Pierre, Esteban, and Avi for extending the invitation and creating such a warm, inclusive space. For me, it was more than a weekend in the mountains—it was a much-needed reminder of why I make art in the first place, and how vital community is to that process.
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