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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Cut Field Colors 12x12 Oil

Cut Field Colors
12x12 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
Available - $250

Every couple of years, we bush-hog the field between our house and Friar's Bay.  The field is a mix of raspberry and blackberry canes, meadowsweet and the occasional apple tree or fir.  We cut the field in the fall, long after the nesting birds have flown off for the season.  As fall deepens, the field turns beautiful earthy shades of reds and oranges.

Read The Fine Print

**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale



Monday, July 30, 2018

TS State of Maine 12x24 Oil

TS State of Maine
12x24 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
Available - $900


The TS State of Maine is one of two large training vessels used by the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine.  Because of its vast size, it's a challenge to paint en plein air.  But I did just that for  the 2014 Castine Plein Air Festival.  It was the very last painting I did that week, and I did it on Saturday morning, just hours before the opening reception.  I was beat from a busy week, but it was so beautiful in the hazy morning light.  This is one of my favorite boat paintings because it is so unusual for me.

Read The Fine Print

**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Annual Exhibition - Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy


Sugarloaf Rock, High Tide 16x20 oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Every year about this time, my "local" painting group, the Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy, has a paintout and exhibition.  I put the word "local" in parentheses, because we actually range over a wide area, with members in Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.  So, getting together and having an annual exhibition is a big deal for us.  Each year, we alternate locations between the US and Canada.  This makes our 12th year!

This year's exhibition is at Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre in St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, at 139 Water Street.  It runs from August 3-25, 2018.  Ten of our charter members will be exhibiting with over 70 paintings.  It'll be quite a show.

Our opening reception is Friday, August 3, from 5-7 pm Atlantic Time.  I do hope you'll join us.

Here are the paintings I'll have in the exhibition.  They are all, of course, available for sale.

Apple Tree Dance 16x20 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Castine Bay 12x16  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Fog Lifting, Dead Spruce 16x20  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Islands 6x8  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Low Tide at Cranberry Point 12x24  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Lazy Light 11x14  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Ready to Sail 12x9  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

Rocky Point 9x12  Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson





Saturday, July 28, 2018

Summer Glare 9x12 Oil

"Summer Glare"
9x12 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
US$250
AVAILABLE - contact info@mchesleyjohnson.com

Summertime is light time.  Sometimes the light is so bright on Campobello Island that even sunglasses don't seem to help!  I love going out to the beaches in the Roosevelt-Campobello Island Park to paint.  Here is Cranberry Point, one of the wilder parts of the park.  I especially enjoy that little patch of green goosetongue in the distance.  Goosetongue is a delicacy here, harvested wild and then boiled.

Read The Fine Print


**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Friday, July 27, 2018

Summer News from Michael

Low Tide, Cranberry Point
12x24 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
Available - at Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy Exhibition
Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre
St Andrews, NB


July 2018
Campobello Island, Canada

I have exciting news for you this summer. Read on!

Podcast with Eric Rhoads of PleinAir Magazine

I'm honored to have spent some time talking with Eric Rhoads, publisher of PleinAir Magazine and organizer of the very popular Plein Air Convention, about my art. Our conversation has been published as a podcast for Outdoor Painter. You can listen to our chat here: https://www.outdoorpainter.com/pleinair-art-podcast-episode-86-michael-chesley-johnson/ (make sure you scroll down to the bottom for the "play" button) or here: https://soundcloud.com/pleinair-podcast/pleinair-art-podcast-8 I'd love to hear what you think!

Judging Shows

I mentioned in my last newsletter that I will be Judge of Awards for the annual member exhibition of the Ohio Plein Air Society this fall. (I'll be teaching a workshop in conjunction with that as well, and you can find details on that below.) Additionally, I will be Judge of Awards for the 27th Annual National Exhibition for the Pastel Society of New Mexico next spring. I enjoy judging shows—it's a great way to see some really wonderful work up close!

Exhibitions and Events

Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy Annual Exhibition and Sale. Ten charter members from our group, including me, will be displaying our work at Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre August 2-25, 2018. I look forward to this exhibit each year, as we try to alternate our shows between the US and Canada. This year, it's in St Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. The reception is Friday evening, 5-7 pm Atlantic Time, at Sunbury Shores at 139 Water Street. I hope you'll join us for what will be a fantastic show. For details, visit www.PleinAirFundy.org.

Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. In September, 2018, I will make my fifth appearance as an invited artist at this prestigious plein air painting event. This will be a special time, as it will be the event's tenth year. A portion of the proceeds goes to a very worthy cause, which is the establishment of a permanent art museum on the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park. The Canyon has been inspiring beautiful art even before it became national park, and the Park's large collection, currently sitting in a warehouse, needs a better and more accessible home. Dates for the event are September 9-16, with the sales continuing through January 14, 2019. You can learn more at https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/celebration-of-art-2018/ You can also preview the exhibition's catalog here. Also, please don't forget my workshop at Grand Canyon in October! (See below.)

Acadia Invitational III. The “Acadia Invitational III” exhibition continues at Argosy Gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine. I attended the opening last July, and I can say this is a stunning show with many masterful paintings. The exhibit will continue until October 2018, but don't delay! Paintings are selling. You can get more details at www.ArgosyGallery.com and see the paintings online at http://www.argosygallery.com/artist.asp?id=96

Summer Sale

Now that I'm back on Campobello Island, I have workshops to tend to and articles to write for The Artists Magazine and PleinAir Magazine. But I also want to give my inventory of paintings a hard look. I think it's time for a summer sale! I'll be pricing some personal favorites very reasonably, and prices include free shipping to the continental US. You can see the sale items here: https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Workshops

I mentioned workshops...I have started cutting back a little on my teaching. I believe this will allow me to focus even more energy on the workshops I do have scheduled. If you haven't taken a workshop with me yet—or need a refresher in plein air painting—I still have a very few spaces left in my summer workshops in Lubec, Maine. I've also got some other exciting workshops scheduled. Read on!

Maine. July/August 2018. My summer program of workshops in Lubec, Maine, continues. If you'd like to paint some of Maine's best (and least busy!) landscapes, sign up now. Read the full details at www.PleinAirPaintingMaine.com If the weeks fill or the timing doesn't work for you, I also am teaching an all-level workshop Bernard, Maine, on Mount Desert Island, near Acadia National Park. We'll have glorious weather on what is called Mount Desert Island's “quiet side.” Dates are August 21-24, with details at: www.acadiaworkshopcenter.com/MCJohnson.html I also offer an advanced workshop in August in Lubec.

Ohio. October 1-3, 2018. I am honored to be the judge for the annual 2018 plein air event for Ohio Plein Air Society—and also to teach a workshop immediately following the judging. The workshop is filling fast! For details, visit Workshop Flyer with Details Here | Registration here.

Grand Canyon National Park. October 24-27, 2018. This is a once-in-a-lifetime workshop for me, since the workshop is sponsored not only by the Grand Canyon Field Institute but also Grand Canyon National Park. We'll have special access to the park and a van, so we won't have to ride the shuttles. After several years of painting at the Canyon, I have many great spots to share. Also, if you like to camp, you get complimentary camping during the workshop—as well as free access to the Park. Sign up now at https://www.grandcanyon.org/photography-art-yoga/plein-air-painting/ Only four spaces are left!

New Mexico. November/December 2018; March-April 2019. One-on-One Painting Intensive. Are you an experienced painter looking to take your craft to the next level? Then please consider this one-on-one intensive at my home studio in the Zuni Mountains of New Mexico. We'll work side-by-side in a program customized entirely for you. The price includes six nights' lodging and all meals. (There is also a tuition-only option available.) You can find full details at http://www.PaintTheSouthwest.com. I wish I'd had a program like this available to me when I was in the middle of my career!

Arizona. November 13-16, 2018; April 2-5, 2019. All-Level Group Workshops in Sedona. This program runs four days, and we work in the mornings with your afternoons free to paint on your own or to explore. Many painters traveling with non-painting friends or spouses have found this to be a perfect solution—everybody's happy! We also have limited lodging available the studio. Also, I'll be teaching in Tubac for the Tubac Center for the Arts, February 20-22, 2019. For full details on both the Sedona and Tubac workshops, visit http://www.PaintTheSouthwest.com

Washington. May 1-4, 2019. For Dakota Art Pastels in Mount Vernon. If you're a long-time pastel painter like me, you'll know all about Dakota. I'm excited to be teaching a workshop for them! Details to come.

Nova Scotia. June 15-22, 2019. Painting retreat for advanced painters in historic Lunenburg, close to Peggy's Cove. We have only two spots left for this. We had a great time last year, and we're looking forward to doing it again. Preference is given to past students; serious painters only (no non-painters due to lodging arrangements); and early risers. Let me know if you want to be on the "interested" list.

As always, you can go to my website, www.MChesleyJohnson.com, to see a full list of workshops and to find out about new ones.

Finally, if you haven't been following my blog, you can read all about my Scottish adventures here:

http://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/Scotland%202018

I've also posted a video slideshow of the color sketches I made on my YouTube channel, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9zXPMrDiY

Later this fall, I'll begin a series of Scottish paintings based on my sketches and photos. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with these images and recreating the many moods of the Isle of Skye and the Orkney Islands. Thank you again to the patrons who made it all possible.

That's all for now. Have a great summer!


Thursday, July 26, 2018

Podcast Interview with Eric Rhoads, Publisher of PleinAir Magazine



If you've been following PleinAir Magazine and OutdoorPainter.com, you're probably already familiar with their ongoing series of podcasts of interviews with painters.  But if not, you should know about it -- partly because I was recently interviewed by Eric Rhoads, publisher of the magazine and founder of the Plein Air Convention.

Although I'm very comfortable with talking in front of an audience--I do it all the time, and some of the audiences are quite large--doing a radio interview was much different.  But Eric is an experienced interviewer, and he quickly put me at ease.  I think you'll enjoy hearing it.

If you can't see the video at the top of this page, here is a link to the podcast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jue19FzYqDs


Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Green Repeats 9x12 Oil

"Green Repeats"
9x12 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
US$250
AVAILABLE - contact info@mchesleyjohnson.com

One of the wonderful things about water is that waves repeat.  Big crashing waves or, as in the case of this painting, little ripples.  This scene depicts a quiet, intimate spot that is one of my very favorites in the Roosevelt-Campobello International Park.  The tide is going out (or maybe coming in), and the ripples catch the green reflections...the repeats.

Read The Fine Print


**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Fallen 9x12 Oil

"Fallen"
9x12 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
US$250
Available - contact info@mchesleyjohnson.com

I've always loved these trees that fall and then get beached.  As the winter storms cut into the headlands, trees are often their victims.  They then roll and tumble in the ocean until the bark is stripped off and the wood turns silvery--they become perfect sculptures.  Here is one, half-buried in the sand and cobbles on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.

Read The Fine Print


**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Monday, July 23, 2018

Early Morning Fog 9x12 Oil



"Early Morning Fog"
9x12 Oil
by Michael Chesley Johnson
SOLD

On Campobello Island, where I have my summer studio, there is an old lobster pound.  A lobster pound is an area where fishermen store live lobsters when the lobstering season has ended; this keeps them fresh for the table.  One very foggy morning, I stopped to paint this one.  I loved the softening effect of the fog -- it created the perfect mood.  This little shack vanished a few years ago.

Read The Fine Print

**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Prices in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Summer Sale Begins! "Paint Me" 8x10 Oil

"Paint Me"
8x10 Oil by Michael Chesley Johnson
US$200
AVAILABLE
Contact info@mchesleyjohnson.com

It's that time of year again when I take stock of the paintings in my studio.  This summer, I've chosen several select pieces that I am offering for sale at low prices.  Many are personal favorites, all of them good, but I do need to make room.  (All artists face this dilemma now and then--keep it, or part with it?)  The sale won't be forever, though!  Prices are good through August 31, 2018.  I'll mark them "sold" as I receive payment.

Rather than post them all at once, I am going to post one every day or so.  If you lose track of what I've posted when, you can see them all at this link:  https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

I'll try to tell a story with each one, too.  "Paint Me" is one of my favorite working boats in Lubec, the Rachel & Simone.  Once in a while, the skipper pulls the boat up near the shore, ties it up and waits for the tide to go out.  Once the tide's out, the hull can be painted.  I was out looking for something to paint one warm summer morning and spotted her.  The light around her felt incandescent, and I tried to paint it that way.

Read The Fine Print

**Paintings shipped unframed
**Free postage to continental US
**Price in US Dollars
**Check preferred, but Paypal payment OK.  Contact me at info@mchesleyjohnson.com to purchase.
**First come, first served!
**PRICES GOOD UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2018
**View more of these paintings at https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Sale

Sunday, July 15, 2018

July Plein Air Painting Workshop Wrap-Up

Off Quoddy Head 9x12 Oil
by Michael Chesley Johnson
SOLD
Another beautiful week just ended here in Lubec, Maine.  For this workshop, we had mostly sunny
skies, a morning with a few errant drops, and otherwise overwhelmingly pleasant weather.  I thought I'd share a few photos from the week, as well as three demonstration paintings.

I am off now for a few weeks before my next workshop (August 7-10, which still has space for another eager painter, details of which are at www.PleinAirPaintingMaine.com).  But now I have three articles to write with illustrative paintings to make in the meantime.  I'm also working on my next newsletter, which should be out later this week.  If you haven't signed up for my newsletters, you can do so here.

I also have some exciting news that I will share at the end of next week.  Stay tuned!

Our happy workshop group

On-the-beach critiques


Demonstrating at the edge

Spot the painter!
Downeast Sunshine 9x12 Oil
by Michael Chesley Johnson
SOLD

Summer Sun 9x12 Oil
by Michael Chesley Johnson
SOLD

The Cannery that Was 9x12 Pastel
by Michael Chesley Johnson
AVAILABLE - $200 incl shipping to US



Sunday, July 8, 2018

Gamblin - Navigating Color Space

In my plein air painting workshops, we spend a couple of days talking about color and color mixing.  Two days really isn't enough time!  As primarily a landscape painter, I've spent the last 20 years focusing mostly on just one of color's attributes, temperature, which I consider to be essential to understanding how to capture the feeling of light.  So, to help my students learn a little more about color in our limited time together, I often suggest that they go to the Gamblin web site and watch the following video, "Navigating Color Space."  It gives them a jump-start on our discussions.

In this video, Robert Gamblin lays out clearly how color works in what he calls "color space."  You may be familiar with the color wheel.  "Color space" adds a third dimension to the wheel, so it becomes more of a cylinder.  Hue, value and chroma are fully represented in it.  (I consider that color has a fourth attribute, temperature, and Gamblin addresses this in the video, considering it more a quality of hue rather than being a separate attribute.)  I recommend this 20-minute video to everyone.

If you don't see the video below, here is the link:  https://www.gamblincolors.com/navigating-color-space/




Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Plein Air Painting Maine Workshops Resume!

Check out the clothes -- it's not hot here!

My new season of plein air painting workshops in Downeast Maine started up yesterday.  This week, we have my usual small group (which is by choice, as it minimizes impact on the landscape and allows me to spend more time with participants) with students from Massachusetts, Florida, Nova Scotia, New York and Maine.  It's always a pleasure to teach people from away, as they often come from interesting places and are new to the Downeast environment.  I love sharing this world with them.

My demonstration in an early state

Yesterday, while much of the country was blistering under 90-degree-plus heat, we enjoyed a cool 58 degrees!  Because of the fog, the locals called it a "soft morning," and we welcomed it.  We painted down by the historic McCurdy fish houses on Water Street, where the fog was come-and-go.

If you are looking for an escape from the heat where you live, you should know I still have space in some of my workshops here:

July 10-13, 2018- all level workshop in Lubec, Maine - sign up
August 7-10, 2018- all level workshop in Lubec, Maine - sign up
August 21-24, 2018 - Workshop at Acadia Workshop Center in Bernard, Maine - Details and registration here
August 28-31, 2018 - Advanced workshop for painters with outdoor experience in Lubec, Maine - sign up

I hope you'll join us!
You'll get lots of attention in my
Maine workshops