"Grand Canyon Winter" 16x20 oil/panel - $2000
Visit me at the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art this September!
While much of the US has been buried under snow and ice, it's been a surprisingly warm and dry winter here in Arizona. The last measurable precipitation came in the form of rain, which was on December 21. Although this has been a wonderful winter for plein air painting, one wonders about the sustainability of growing populations in the Southwest. Of course, it's hard to think of that when you're out painting by a creek with bald eagles flying overhead and river otters playing nearby!
I've had two paintings curated into an upcoming exhibition at The Phippen Museum.The Phippen is a prestigious museum of Western art located in Prescott, Arizona. I am honored to have my work chosen for this exhibit, the theme of which is "Architecture of the Southwest." I love to paint old buildings. One painting features some old structures in the ghost town of Jerome, Arizona; the other features an historic apple-packing barn near Slide Rock in Oak Creek Canyon. I don't the have exact dates on this exhibit, but I do know it will be in the spring. Once I have dates, I'll write a special blog post.
I've had four paintings curated into an upcoming exhibition at the Phoenix Airport Museum. This exhibition, which will run from June 15 - November 30, 2014, features work related to the Verde River. As you may recall, last year I participated in an event in which several artists were invited to raft this endangered waterway and to create work that would then be displayed and auctioned off to raise awareness and funds for its protection. This exhibition is a spin-off from that. I am delighted to be one of several artists who have been invited to display in this special exhibition. The work will be shown in Terminal 2 of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
I have been invited to the offices of Artists Network TV, also home of F&W Media, The Artist's Magazine and Pastel Journal, to shoot three new art instruction videos this spring. The three videos, which will cover pastel, oil and plein air techniques, will be part of Artists Network TV's video collection. I'm excited to have a professional team doing a professional job on these. When the videos are available, I'll be sure to let you know.
For the third year, I've been invited to participate in the Grand Canyon Association's "Celebration of Art: Plein Air on the Rim." This is quite an honor, and I love this event. There really isn't a more spectacular - and challenging - place to paint. What's more, the event was created to raise funds for the establishment of an art museum on the South Rim to house Grand Canyon National Park's burgeoning collection. I've had a personal tour of the collection, and believe me, these are pieces that deserve a home! The event runs September 13-21, 2014.
There are still a few days for a chance at sponsoring my Kickstarter project, "50 for the 50th Anniversary." As most of you know, I have committed to creating 50 small oil paintings for the Roosevelt-Campobello International Park's 50th anniversary. The paintings are reasonably priced, and it is first-come, first-served. There are still several spots left, and I would be delighted to have you as a sponsor. I will also be creating a book, notecards and calendar, all based on these paintings, and these items will also be available. For details, please visit this link.
Here are some important workshop/retreat updates I'd like you to know about:
April 8-11, 2014: Paint Sedona Advanced Retreat. For this special retreat, I've arranged lodging for students. Space includes, besides bedrooms, a full kitchen, dining area, plus studio. Students will live together for a true "immersion" experience. Please contact me right away if you're interested, as it will be a small workshop with limited space! Price for lodging is very affordable at $50/person/day. Details on other aspects of the retreat are at www.PaintSedona.com.
April 26-May 1, 2015: Santa Fe Painting Retreat. (Please note, this is in 2015!) In our ongoing series of annual retreats in special places, we will be in Santa Fe. For details, please visit www.PaintNewMexico.com. We are still working out arrangements, so please bookmark that site. This retreat is only for advanced painters who have studied with me previously. Let me know if you are interested!
After hosting a very successful workshop for Albert Handell in August, I am setting up a mentoring workshop with him in Sedona, Arizona, for November 2-7, 2014. Several of the students from this past workshop will be joining us in Sedona next fall, so if you are interested, don't delay! We are already getting signups for this special event and registration is limited. You can find details at www.AlbertHandellWorkshop.com.
Finally, I know it's hard to be thinking of next summer already, but in addition to my usualPaint Campobello workshops, we are offering lodging at our Artists Retreat Studios and Gallery for painters, writers and other creative types. We are already getting signups for the summer. Visit www.artistsretreatmaine.com for details or to reserve your own quiet, creative time!
And don't forget that all of my books are now available at Amazon! You can visit my Amazon author site here to buy the books: http://www.amazon.com/author/johnson.
That's all the news. Have a great spring!
- Michael
Michael Chesley Johnson
www.MichaelChesleyJohnson.com
http://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com
www.PaintCampobello.com
www.PaintSedona.com
575-267-2450 / mcj.painter@gmail.com
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Prepare for Plein Air: Not sure how to go about painting outside?
Check out my online course! Great for beginners. Visit www.PrepareForPleinAir.com
2014 Workshops
January-April 2014: ARIZONA, Sedona. Paint Sedona continues! For full details, seewww.PaintSedona.com.
April 8-11, 2014: ARIZONA, Sedona. Special lodging/studio-included version of Paint Sedona. For full details, see www.PaintSedona.com.
April 21-27: UTAH, Zion National Park. Painting Retreat. FULL, waiting list only.www.PleinAirZion.com.
May 2-3: ILLINOIS, Batavia. Price $200 members, $240 non-members. Contact: Water Street Studios, 630-761-9977, www.waterstreetstudios.com
May 5-6: INDIANA, Valparaiso. The Art Barn. Price $215 (includes lunch.) Contact: ArtBarnIN@AOL.com, 219-462-9009, www.artbarnin.com
May 8-9: OHIO, Toledo. Toledo Art Club. Details TBA.
July-September: CAMPOBELLO ISLAND, New Brunswick - All media. Michael's 8th summer! $300/4 half-days. See website www.PaintCampobello.com.
September 29-October 2: MAINE, Acadia National Park. A very popular workshop, and Michael's 8th summer! Price: $595. See website:http://www.acadiaworkshopcenter.com/MCJohnson.html
October 4-5: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Monadnock Region. Price: $160 members, $185 non-members. Monadnock Area Artists Association. Download registration form here.http://www.michaelchesleyjohnson.com/docs/Johnson20142.pdf
2015 Workshops
May: NEW MEXICO, Santa Fe. Painting Retreat. www.PleinAirSantaFe.com
October 6-9: MAINE, Acadia National Park. Price: TBA. www.AcadiaWorkshopCenter.com
