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| 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 |
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!
