Backpacker Painting in Historic Tubac, Arizona

Backpacker Painting in Historic Tubac, Arizona

Off-site workshop | This program has been canceled

TBD Tubac, AZ 85646 United States

TBA

All Levels

1/23/2012-1/26/2012

9:00 AM-4:00 PM on Mon Tue Wed Th

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$485.00

Join Michael Chesley Johnson for a mid-winter retreat in historic Tubac, Arizona. Tubac is one of the earliest settlements in Arizona and is home to the Tumacacori Mission, which was established in 1691 and is now a National Historic Park, and the Presidio, a fort founded in 1752 and now a State Park. Besides historic buildings, we'll paint Tubac's colorful streets and its mountain views.

For the student not yet comfortable with plein air painting, this workshop will show them how to get out in the field with a minimum of fuss and baggage. Holding to the concept that everything a painter needs should fit into a backpack, students will learn to strip down their gear to the essentials. In addition, they'll learn an easy, step-by-step process to capture the moment without sacrificing mood and magic.

During the four-day workshop, students can expect to do at least one painting a day. They can expect daily demonstrations plus some studio time for initial lectures, critiques and wrap-up. Portable easel and transportation necessary. www.MichaelChesleyJohnson.com

  • Oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor accepted (instructor will work in oil)
  • I will be working in both oil and pastel. You, however, may choose to work in any medium you wish. I recommend that if you are versatile in more than one,that you stick with just one, however.
  • Below are the supply lists for oil and pastel. Also is a list of general items, whatever your medium. Some items are marked "Required." All others are optional.
  • Oil (REQUIRED): Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Phtalo Green (or Viridian), White (Titanium Zinc), Chromatic Black
  • Colors differ from brand to brand, but I use Gamblin oils. I recommend professional and NOT student grade oils.
  • Thinner (REQUIRED) - I use Turpenoid or Gamsol
  • Medium - I do not use any medium other than Turpenoid (odorless mineral spirits) for thinning. If you want your paintings to dry quickly because you are travelling, I recommend an alkyd medium such as Gamblin's Galkyd Lite.
  • Panels (REQUIRED) - I use Ampersand Gessobord or my own homemade panels. Do NOT bring cheap "canvas panels" (e.g. from Frederix or Dick Blick). I recommend 9x12 or smaller, which will allow you to finish a painting in one session. Plan on 2 panels a day.
  • Brushes - Hog bristle flats (REQUIRED) - #2, #4, #6, #8, #10 (I use the "Grand Prix" line from Silver Brush.)
  • Miscellaneous items (REQUIRED) - palette for mixing paint colors on, lidded container for holding thinner, method of transporting wet paintings (your pochade box may do this or a wet panel carrier such as HandyPort)
  • Pastel: Full set of hard pastels (REQUIRED) - I prefer Faber-Castell's Polychromos pastels (120-piece set). (The 96-piece Prismacolor NuPastels or 72-piece Cretacolour Pastel CarrĂ© set are good second options.)
  • Soft pastels - A good selection, especially of darks and lights. Not required, but it will help you expand the limited value range of the hard pastels. I prefer Mount Vision pastels. I have the 50-piece workshop set, the 25-piece plein air supplement and the 25-piece workshop supplement.
  • Paper (REQUIRED) - Wallis Professional Grade Sanded Paper (or Art Spectrum Colourfix) in a size convenient for working on outdoors. I recommend 9x12 or smaller, which will allow you to finish a painting in one session. Plan on doing 2 paintings a day. The paper is available in both white and Belgan Mist (or, for the Art Spectrum, paper, pick a mid-grey, such as Elephant.) I will use both colours. I use white for an alcohol wash technique and the grey for the dry technique.
  • Miscellaneous (REQUIRED) - backboard for attaching paper to, masking tape, rubbing alcohol, old bristle brush (1/2" or 1")
  • General Items
  • Outdoor easel (REQUIRED) - I use both a 9x12 Guerrilla Painter Box. (Available from www.pochade.com.) An old standby is the trusty French Easel. Whatever you use, it must be above all stable. Easels frequently give students the most trouble. Practice setting it up before the workshop.
  • Umbrella - not necessary, but helpful in intense sulight.
  • Stool - again, not necessary, but good for comfort. If you must sit to paint, I strongly suggest a camp stool or collapsible chair, since not all locations have picnic tables.
  • Small Sketchbook and pencil (REQUIRED) for making quick thumbnail sketches.
  • Viewfinder (REQUIRED) - I like the "Viewcatcher," from www.pochade.com
  • Gray scale and pocket color wheel - not necessary, but helpful (All available from www.pochade.com.)
  • Hat, sunblock and water bottle for working outdoors (REQUIRED)
  • "Baby Wipes" for cleaning fingers. Some locations will not have running water.
  • Appropriate clothing and shoewear (REQUIRED). Some locations may be cool, and sandals may be an inconvenience if footing isn't the best.
  • Photos to work from (REQUIRED). In the event of inclement weather - rain, excessive wind, snow, etc. - we will work in the studio from photos.
  • Lunch (REQUIRED). Bring a bag lunch, because if we're out in the field, we may not have dining facilities or a deli nearby.
  • Suggested Reading: My books, Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel and Through a Painter's Brush: A Year on Campobello Island, have lots of information plus demonstrations. (Order from my website, www.MichaelChesleyJohnson.com.)
Johnson, Michael Chesley

An award-winning landscape painter noted for his expressive, intuitive use of color, Michael works in both oil and pastel. He paints primarily outdoors, choosing locations from the American Southwest, Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. He has been an Invited Artist at the Sedona Plein Air Festival for the past five years (2006-2010) and in 2011 is participating in the Plein Air Southwest and Grand Canyon Celebration of the Arts plein air events. Michael was awarded Master Pastellist status by Pastel Artists Canada in 2008, and he is a Signature Member of The Pastel Society of America and a juried member of Oil Painters of America. He has exhibited his award-winning work in many venues. His paintings have appeared in The Artist's Magazine, The Pastel Journal, American Artist and Fine Art Connoisseur (Plein Air Magazine.) He has a summer studio (Friar's Bay Studio Gallery) on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, and a winter studio (Pumphouse Studio Gallery) in Sedona, Arizona.