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| River Study, 9x12 pastel (studio) by Michael Chesley Johnson |
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| Bobcat! A visitor at the Tucson workshop. (Photo by Trina) |
It's been a busy fall so far—and with no end in sight! Following the Doug Dawson workshop in Sedona and a weekend trip to Chiricahua National Monument, last week I drove all the way back to Sedona to teach my own workshop, and then I went south to teach another for the Tucson Pastel Society. Now I have a few days to catch up on paperwork (and the blog) before flying off to visit family back east for Thanksgiving. December, thankfully, looks to be a little slower.
The Sedona workshop was so successful that I've scheduled another for next spring, March 27-30, 2018. Like my previous workshops there, this one will run Tuesday through Friday with plenty of painting opportunities. Late March is always a pleasant time to visit Sedona. The trees will be just putting out their spring foliage, and the chill of winter will be replaced by a sunny warmth. If you haven't taken one of my Sedona plein air painting workshops before, here's your opportunity. And if you have already done so, I encourage you to join me again, since I have new thoughts and techniques to share with you. Sometimes students think, “Well, I've already taken a workshop with that particular artist,” not understanding that all of us—even we teachers—constantly learn new things and always have something new to give. You can find details on the program at
www.PaintTheSouthwest.com.
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| Red Rock Study, 6x8 oil (plein air) by Michael Chesley Johnson |
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| Verde River Study, 9x12 oil (plein air) by Michael Chesley Johnson |
The Tucson workshop was a one-day affair sponsored by the Tucson Pastel Society. It was a free workshop for members—a nice perk that the society offers twice a year. I counted at least 20 attendees, which sounds like a lot, but because the workshop took place indoors, I had plenty of time to go from easel to easel. The second day, we had an optional outdoor painting session, which was held among the palms and cattails at a nearby wetlands. Mallards, coots, egrets and even a bobcat joined us for the morning. I had a great time with this group, and several students told me how much they enjoyed the program, which concerned limited palettes and “making your best guess” with regards to color choices.
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Shadowed Rock Study, 9x12 pastel (studio) by Michael Chesley Johnson
For this piece I used only 14 sticks of pastel, as seen below. |
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| That's my 14-stick limited pastel palette in the little box |
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| Tucson Light 9x12 pastel (plein air) by Michael Chesley Johnson |
I've included with the post some of the demonstration paintings plus a few snapshots. If you're interested in any of these studies or paintings, please let me know. Have a great Thanksgiving!
