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| "Arroyo" 24x30 Oil/Canvas - Available I'm working on some larger paintings this winter. This is one of them. |
As we roll downhill to a variety of end-of-year celebrations, I like to put on the brakes for a moment to consider where I've been and where I'm headed. It's been a busy year, what with workshops, painting and writing projects. (You can read about my year in A Plein Air Painter's Blog.) And as much as I tell folks I'm cutting back, especially on the workshops, I just keep scheduling more. But of course, I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way.
Meanwhile, each day I try to notice the little things that make me pause and remember to breathe. A flock of bluebirds visits the bird bath as the sun melts the ice that formed overnight. Our family of feral cats arrives on the deck at sunrise to enjoy breakfast while we have ours by the window. Farther from the house—a fact of which I'm sure the cats and birds are glad—and up on the mesa, coyotes leave their scat, chock-full of juniper berries. Below the mesa, on the lake, darting among the islands of pickerel weed, coots croak and squawk. Elsewhere, a multitude of tracks in the snow tell stories, with both happy endings and sad endings, that played out while I've been busy elsewhere.
One thing I promise myself for the New Year is this. Despite all the busy-ness, I will stop now and then to read those stories in the snow.
Painting Retreats
What's a painting retreat? It's a gathering of like-minded artists who want to spend some serious time painting and enjoying the camaraderie of others. For most of these, we all stay in the same lodging and share meals. As the organizer, I offer critiques of work painted; invite participants to treat whatever I paint as a demonstration; and serve as location guide and on-site consultant. Trina and I have been doing these for several years now, and we love it.
For these retreats, you'll want to have experience in painting outdoors and also be an early riser, as we like to start with critiques right after an early breakfast. Also, please know these retreats are meant to be enjoyable, but if you like to party, these aren't for you! Let me know if you'd like to join us on any of these trips.
Isle of Skye, Scotland. June 13-20, 2020. Although this retreat is currently filled, I will be happy to put you on the wait list.
Lubec, Maine. August 9-14, 2020. Stay at the beautifully-renovated US Coast Guard campus on West Quoddy Head, very close to the lighthouse, and paint bold cliffs, cobble beaches, tamarack bogs, historic fishing villages and boats. And yes, there is lobster! Download the detail sheet here.
Taos, New Mexico. October 3-10, 2020. Besides a wealth of stunning scenery including the Rio Grande Gorge and Taos Mountain, the town has a long history with painters. As part of the retreat, we'll also arrange to tour the Nicolai Fechin House, the Mabel Dodge Luhan house, and other historic artist studios. $1000 includes lodging and breakfasts.
Scotland Funding
The Scotland retreat will be my third trip to that beautiful place. Last time, I was able to partly fund the trip by preselling a series of small paintings of Scotland. I'd like to do the same for this trip. As with last time, I will keep a color sketch journal during the trip, and upon my return to the US, I'll paint a series of 6x8 oil paintings based on the journal and photographs. (The journal paintings will not be for sale.) These will be beautifully framed in a black molding with a red undertone and a gold inner fillet. My goal is to have these completed in time to ship by Thanksgiving 2020, so if you're thinking of Christmas gifts, you'll get them in time. Price is only $250, which includes frame and shipping to the US. I am taking orders for these now, and it will be "first come, first served" when I announce the completion of the series. Let me know if you are interested! (And thank you to those who have already signed up! I deeply appreciate your support.)
You can see the sketches from the 2019 journal here: www.mchesleyjohnson.com/scotland_journal and the finished 6x8 paintings here: www.mchesleyjohnson.com/scotland_series .
Workshops
Ramah, New Mexico. Private Plein Air Painting Intensive Program, Spring 2020. If you are an experienced painter and want to reach the next level in your craft, consider this program. I'll customize it just for you. $1400, which includes lodging and meals. (A tuition-only version for $700 is also available.) Several weeks to choose from. For full details, visit http://www.paintthesouthwest.com/sched_int.html.
Sedona, Arizona. All-Level Plein Air Painting Workshop, April 7-10, 2020. April is beautiful in Sedona, and we should catch some spring greens against the red rocks and along Oak Creek. Limited lodging is available at the studio for only $75/night—inexpensive for Sedona! For full details, visit http://www.paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html
Lubec, Maine. All-Level Plein Air Painting Workshops, July & August 2020. If you want to paint rocky shores, bold cliffs, lighthouses, fishing boats and historic buildings, and to enjoy some great seafood, you'll love Lubec. I have several weeks of all-level workshops scheduled. For full details, visit http://www.PleinAirPaintingMaine.com.
Events
2020 Plein Air Convention. Denver, Colorado. I'm very excited to be one of the artists invited to be on the faculty of this extravaganza. You can register right now for the event at www.PleinAirConvention.com. I hope to see some of my followers there!
Paintings
Pumphouse Studio Gallery. I invite you to visit my studio and gallery in New Mexico. Open by appointment, the gallery has all of my Southwest paintings—Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks, Santa Fe, Taos and Sedona, as well as work from closer to home. You will also find my studio interesting, as I always have some project going. If visiting me isn't enough, you can also see the Zuñi pueblo, El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments, La Ventana Arch and more. You can schedule a time at your convenience with email (info@mchesleyjohnson.com).
Writing
This spring, look for my annual review of winners in the Landscape/Interiors category of the Pastel 100 in Pastel Journal, as well as my feature on artist Richard McDaniel and the Russian River in the April/May issue of PleinAir Magazine. Also, I am thinking about a new book, more details of which I will announce later.
That's all for now. Have a great fall, and hopefully our paths will cross soon!
