This Month's Most Popular Posts

I thought I'd start a regular "column" here in my blog.  I'm calling it "This Month's Most Popular Posts."  On the last day of the month, I'll list the top three posts--just in case you missed something.  (And of course, this means I have to write at least three posts a month!)

Here are this month's favorites.

Master Class:  How to Determine the Color of a Light Source
Most people find this hard, so here's how I make it easy.

My New Summer Studio
Every painter needs a barn studio.  Here's mine.

Why I Paint: Communion
We paint for many reasons.  Here's one of mine.

That's the top three, but here are a few more.

Painting the Moon: Astronaut Alan Bean
Alan Bean was the first artist to visit the moon.

Grey and the Colorblind Painter
I'm colorblind -- yes, really!

New Summer Studio

My New Barn Studio

A proper artist needs a proper studio--even a plein air painter.  There's always stuff to store and paintings that are better adjusted indoors than out.  But as much as I've enjoyed my small studios over the years, I've always had a hankering for a barn studio.  It's not so much that I have a need for more space for stuff as it is a need for just more, well, space.  Room to swing a brush in.  Room for the light to play in.  Room to breathe in.

If you've seen photos of the studios of historic painters, the studios are usually quite large.  Mostly, that's because the painters made big paintings, and they needed a ceiling high enough for their tall easels and room for storing all those big paintings.  And, it seems, they needed space for a day bed for a nap after wielding a big brush all day long.

Here's Jackson Pollack in his studio.  I don't think I'll be painting on the floor, nor will I be painting canvases quite that big.  But I do have my barn studio now, and the electricians have just finished wiring up new lights.  I'm very excited to have it and eager to show it to visitors.  It's also a gallery, filled with my maritime paintings.  I'm calling it "Michael Chesley Johnson Studio at Friar's Bay," and it's open by appointment seasonally.  If you're in the area, email me or give me a call.

Here are some more pictures of the new studio, plus a short video showing it.  (Can't see the video? Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfSoNDX3VTs )

Two Countries, One Bay Open Studio Tour

Fabric art by Trina Stephenson

What is summer without an open studio tour?  This year, both Artists Retreat Studios & Gallery and Friar's Bay Studio Gallery will be part of a two-country studio tour.  The tour runs Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19, 2015.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time.  (ARSG is in Lubec, ME, on Eastern Time; FBSG is Welshpool, NB, on Atlantic Time, one hour ahead.)

At Friar's Bay Studio Gallery, I'll be on hand to show you some of my latest oil and pastel paintings of local scenery.  Also, I'll be working on a small oil painting or two, and you are welcome to visit and watch me work, and I'll be happy to answer questions.  The studio gallery is at 822 Route 774 in Welshpool on Campobello Island, New Brunswick.

At Artists Retreat Studios & Gallery, Trina will be on hand to show you some of her photographic mandala kaleidoscopes featuring views of the natural world and also her fabric art.  (I have work at the gallery, too.)  She'll be available to answer questions about her process, too.  The studio gallery is at 45 Washington Street, Lubec, Maine.  For full directions, pleaes visit the website links above.

For details on this and other particpating studios, please visit the Artsipelago site.  

Pastel Landscape by Michael Chesley Johnson
"August Fog" 8x10 pastel - available framed, $400 US incl. shipping

A Visit with Master Painter Albert Handell

"Breaking Water Along the Taos Ski Basin"
12x24 oil by Albert Handell
(one of the new paintings Albert shared with me)

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  As most people know, Santa Fe is an art Mecca.  For artists and art lovers, it provides a tremendous opportunity to quench one's thirst for experiencing good art.  Over the years, I've seen galleries come and go and artists pass in and out of fashion.  But some artists have thrived and continue to florish there.  One such artist is master painter Albert Handell.  (Here's what Fine Art Connoisseur says about him.)

Albert Handell
(all photos by Trina Stephenson)

I've gotten to be good friends with Albert and his wife, fellow painter Jeanine Christman-Handell.  So despite a winter storm warning and four inches of snow already on the ground, Trina and I drove the slushy streets to Albert's studio.  The studio is adjacent to the house, and both are what you'd expect from a Santa Fe artist, adobe pueblo-style plus a dooryard filled with chamisa, now snow-capped.  Jeanine was sweeping the snow off the steps for us, and Albert had already warmed up the studio.  Verdi was playing on a little music box.  On two easels were two oil paintings, one quite large and older, one that Albert was re-working, plus a smaller, new one.  When I inquired earlier about a studio visit, Albert sent me a text that he was "painting as if on fire." I could tell.  Paintings, both framed and unframed, were stacked against the vertical storage cabinets, which were also filled.  (I last visited Albert's studio in 2007.)

Albert wanted to show me some new work that he was proud of.  That's one of the many things I like about Albert.  Though humble, he is not to shy to share with you his latest efforts, which are always beautiful.  Some of the pieces were destined for the upcoming Oil Painters of America exhibition, others for other shows.  The work was so consistently superior that I asked him if he ever made a bad painting.  He laughed and said, "They just don't make it to the frames."

Although he does a great deal of his work out on location, like most plein air painters he recognizes the necessity of being in the studio.  Lately, he's taken to using a large computer screen to work from.  He took me on a tour of some of the photos he's been using as references and then showed me the paintings.  It's always fascinating to see how a master takes a scene and changes it for a painting.  He also shared with me some of the spots where he took the photos, taking time to write out the directions to them.   Albert is incredibly giving with his knowledge.

Albert's pastel palette

Albert's oil palette

Referencing his comment that he was painting "as if on fire," I told him that it must feel great to still have that kind of energy and interest at this point in his career.  Albert will soon turn 78.  "It is!  I'm painting better than ever.  I'm painting looser.  I'm focusing on the important parts of the painting and leaving more of the underpainting untouched."  Albert likes to start his oil paintings with a big brush and large, transparent passages; then he moves to the knife and works on the center of interest, paying special attention to "lost and found" edges.

There's a great deal more I could write about our visit, which was brief.  The snow was still falling in large, lazy flakes, and the forecast was for lowering temperatures and heavier snow.  We had to get to Albuquerque before the roads got bad.

Handell Studio

I'm looking forward to seeing Albert and Jeanine again in Palm Springs in a few weeks for a mentoring workshop, and then again in April 2016 in Sedona, when he will be back in my area for another mentoring workshop.

Quoddy Artists Studio Tour 2014

Nine professional artists around the Passamaquoddy Bay area will open their studios to the public Saturday, August 23, from 9-4 local time.  Artists will give demonstrations or informal, educational talks as well as offer the opportunity to purchase works.  For full details including directions to the artists' studios, visit the website www.QuoddyArtists.com.

Artist Michael Chesley Johnson, who started the original "Two Countries, One Bay" studio tour, which ran successfully for several years, says he wanted to bring back the tour with a focus on working artists with studios.  "Over time, the tour began to lose the educational focus.  Art is vital to the survival of our culture, and so many people today have lost this understanding.  In this new, revitalized tour, professionals whose focus is art will share their love and knowledge with visitors."

Participating artists are:

• Fred Hartman, Drawings, Watercolors, Whiting 
• Bonnie Beard, Painter, Lubec
• Shanna Wheelock, Potter and Fiber Artist, Lubec
• Trina Stephenson, Fabric and Digital Designs, Lubec
• Sheryl Denbo, Assemblages, Multi-Dimensional Structures, Mixed Media, Lubec 
• Joyce Morrell, Painter, Campobello Island
• Michael Chesley Johnson, Painter, Campobello Island
• Roland LaVallee, Woodcarver, Eastport
• Lisa Marquis Bradbury, Painter, Eastport

Visit the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/quoddyartists) where updates about the event will be posted.

Open Studio Day - and a Pennsylvania Workshop

Once again, summer seems to have flown by all too quickly.  The paths are covered with fallen apples and edged with goldenrod and white aster.  Although we are still having warm days, the nights are noticeably cooler.  The summer's steady stream of tourists has dwindled to a trickle, and that spells the end of our gallery season.

Every year at this time, we open the studio to the public.  This year, we'll be opening both studios - not just the one on Campobello Island, but also the one in Lubec.  With that in mind, here are the details.

Friar's Bay Studio Gallery

Artists Retreat Studios & Gallery

Two-Stop Studio Tour

Saturday, September 7

1- 6 Atlantic Time (12-5 Eastern)

Friar's Bay Studio Gallery, 822 Rte 774, Welshpool, Campobello Island, NB

Artists Retreat Studios and Gallery, 45 Washington Street, Lubec, ME

I will be manning the studio on Campobello Island, and Trina will be manning the one in Lubec.  I hope we see you, here and there!  Otherwise, both galleries are now closed for the season.

Also, I want to mention my upcoming workshop in scenic Millheim, Pennsylvania.  My other workshops in Maryland, Florida and Georgia are nearly full, but I still have space in my Pennsylvania workshop.  I taught this workshop last fall, and we had a great time painting in Amish country.  Think barns, silos, rolling hills plus nice natural scenery in the way of rivers and woods.   Last year there was a little fair in next-door Aaronsburg, and we enjoyed some really good pie.

Teaching in Millheim, Pennsylvania

The workshop runs October 8-10 and is coordinated by The Green Drake Gallery.  For details and to register, please visit http://greendrakeart.com/classes.html.

Beauty of the Penns Valley in Millheim

9x12 oil demonstration I did for last year's Pennsylvania workshop

Friar's Bay Studio Gallery Re-Opening Saturday, June 30

"Path through the Apple Trees" 9x12, oil - available

In conjunction with the Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy paintout over the upcoming Independence Day/Canada Day weekend, Friar's Bay Studio Gallery will host a reception for the artists and public.

You're invited to stop by the gallery on Saturday, June 30, from 5-7 pm Atlantic Time for the reception.  This will also be our first open day for the season!  We're located at 822 Route 774 on Campobello Island.  For full directions and other information, vist the website at www.FriarsBayGallery.com.

Starting July 3, our hours will be Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 pm Atlantic Time (other times by appointment or chance.)

I've got a lot of new work that I did after we closed the gallery last season, plus I'm painting more in preparation for my exhibit at Sunbury Shores Art & Nature Centre in July.  The theme is "Buildings in the Landscape." I'd be delighted to have you come by, and I'll give you a tour of the studio, too!  I can't promise that the apple trees will be blooming - that's the gallery in the painting at the top of this post - but the lupines are beautiful right now.

Video: A Day in the Life (studio)

What does an outdoor painter do on his day off from painting? Good question. Sometimes I end up in the studio. Some folks think that a plein air painter has no need for a studio, since he's got the Great Outdoors. This is far from the case, however.

I decided to shoot a video of what I do when I'm not outside painting. When I began shooting, I thought it would be a pretty typical day, but as it turned out, it was busier than usual. I sold a couple of paintings in the afternoon, which required me to wrap them up for the client and to then get another piece or two ready to replace them in the gallery. This takes more time than you'd think! Also, I ended up varnishing a couple of pieces, tweaking a plein air piece and more. Take a look.

(Can't see the image? Go directly to the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLcpDByIIc)

Music by Moby. Used with permission.

By the way, Artistsnetwork.tv has now released my pastel video as a download. Click here to preview/purchase. I'm very happy, because now I don't have to worry about duplicating and distributing a physical product! My other video, the one on oil, will be released next month (September 2010.)

Studio Tour, Day 2

Today was the second day of the two-day studio tour, "Two Countries, One Bay." (See www.twocountriesart.com for details.) As yesterday, I entertained the crowds with a pastel painting done en atelier. Although the weather was much calmer, the morning had a chilly start to it, and I decided I'd rather have my coffee and a warm space to paint in. I worked on the following piece periodically throughout the day in my studio. I rarely work 8+ hours on a piece in one session, so it was rewarding to take my time with this small one!

"Autumn River" 8x10, pastel/panel

Later this week, Trina and I close up the gallery and head off to New Hampshire and Vermont. I'll be teaching first for New Hampshire Plein Air in Goffstown, followed by an autumn foliage adventure in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. We lived in the Northeast Kingdom for awhile, so we'll be revisiting some old haunts. I am particularly looking forward to painting the sugar maples and sugar shacks. Both plein air workshops are full, so I'll be pleasantly busy!

Studio Tour, Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of our two-day studio tour, the "Two Countries, One Bay" event. The tour spans both sides of Passamaquoddy Bay and includes the eastern end of Downeast Maine and southwestern coastal New Brunswick. Over 45 artists are on this tour, which one can do as a loop with a couple of ferry rides. It's a rare chance to visit working artists in their studios and to see how art is done. (Visit www.twocountriesart.com for more on the tour.)

It was a pleasure to see some new faces as well as some old friends. During the day, I worked on a pastel demonstration. Pastel is perfect for these events, because I can leave the painting and give a gallery tour without the surface "closing." Oil paint is such that, over time, the surface becomes tacky and less workable. When I go back to my pastel painting, it's just as I left it, and I can dive right back into the painting.

Below is yesterday's piece, a pastel on a panel prepped with Art Spectrum Colourfix. I used mostly soft Mount Vision pastels. I would have done a plein air painting if it hadn't been for the wind. Today looks a bit calmer, so if you visit today on Day Two, you may find me in the yard!

"Morning Glow" 8x10, pastel/panel