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Books and Videos


New Video Series!
Plein Air Essentials

Michael has put together a series of short videos for the plein air painter. These are all available for download from Lulu.com for as low as 99 cents each! Go to Michael's store to order.

Equipment
Running Time: 5 min
99¢

Value Basics
Running Time: 3 min
99¢

Oil Demo
Running Time: 9 min
$1.99

Pastel Demo
Running Time: 11 min
$1.99

Ordered a download and can't figure out how to get the file? On the orange bar in Lulu, click on My Lulu. Then click on My Orders. Then in the left column, scroll down until you see My Downloads. Click on that, and you'll get a list of your downloads. Right-click and "Save Target As" to download the file.

Paint Sedona: A Plein Air Painter's Field Guide to Sedona, Arizona

Also includes useful plein air tips and supply lists for oil and pastel plein air painters.
34 pp, 27 black-and-white photos with map.

$10 Paperback + shipping
$7 Download + no shipping

Click for Preview and to Order

Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel

How to paint outdoors by minimizing the hassle and maximizing the fun. Loaded with tips on equipment, materials and techniques that will benefit every level of painter. 164 pages packed with 12 demonstrations, 72 paintings and 125 illustrations.

$45 Paperback + shipping
$20 Download + no shipping

Click for Preview and to Order

Michael Chesley Johnson knows how to pack a lot into a small package – whether it’s his painting gear or a 5” x 7” landscape painting. Being a master of the essential is no mean feat. Michael Chesley Johnson’s latest book, Backpacker Painting will reward the attentive reader with a wealth of outdoor painting know-how for a no-nonsense, no-frills approach to outdoor painting in every season, day and night. - Carl Judson, Judson's Art Outfitters

I took it to our plein air group meeting and it was received with happy sounds. It's already loaned to a member ... the group was impressed and pleased with it. And this is not an easy group to impress. - Kitty Wallis

In the tradition of Rick Steve’s “less is more” guides for the traveler, Michael Chesley Johnson’s Backpacker Painting offers painters excellent guidelines for carrying the lightest load possible without sacrificing any of the necessary tools for a successful plein air experience. As well, the instruction Michael offers on limited (and lightweight!) palettes that can meet the color mixing needs of the landscape is sure to benefit artists looking to reduce the quantity of materials and time required to prepare for a painting trip. - Briana Ragone-Ball, Gamblin Artists Colors

Hi from downunder. Purchased your book "Backpacker Painting" online. Absolutely delighted with it. Enjoying the sensible writing and thoughtful tips. Congratulations and thank you. - John from Australia


Backpacker Painting: Oil on Location

The Oil Companion DVD to Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel

Join Michael on a painting adventure in the red hills of Sedona, Arizona. In this one-hour DVD, he'll show you how he paints a landscape en plein air in oil. You'll learn how to simplify the landscape and then finish with exciting color.

Segments
Oil on Location - 52 min
Bonus: Prepare for Plein Air: The French Easel - 5 min
Bonus: Prepare for Plein Air: Value Basics - 3 min

Only US$ 40+$5 shipping (to US and Canada)

**Older DVD players may not play this writable DVD disc. Newer ones will. If you have an older DVD player, you may want to upgrade your firmware or buy a new DVD player.**

Backpacker Painting: Pastel on Location

The Pastel Companion DVD to Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel

Join Michael again in Sedona for this one-hour outdoor painting session in pastel. He'll explain his approach to handling value, design and color.

Segments
Pastel on Location - 49 min
Bonus: Prepare for Plein Air: The French Easel - 5 min
Bonus: Prepare for Plein Air: Value Basics - 3 min

Only US$ 40+$5 shipping (to US and Canada)

**Older DVD players may not play this writable DVD disc. Newer ones will. If you have an older DVD player, you may want to upgrade your firmware or buy a new DVD player.**

Through a Painter's Brush: A Year on Campobello Island

A year's worth of paintings done on-location on this beautiful island in the Canadian Maritimes, plus essays on the painting process. 140 pages with 150 images, including 55 oils and 20 pastels.

$35 Paperback + shipping
$20 Download + no shipping

Click for Preview and to Order

2010 Calendar

2010 calendar with all-new paintings from Michael's past year on Campobello Island

$18 + shipping

Click for Preview and to Order

2010 Portfolio

A collection of some of Michael's best work from 2009. Intended for galleries,
but also available to collectors and others!

At the end of 2010, this book will never again be available.

$17 + shipping OR $9 download!

Click for Preview and to Order

More About Backpacker Painting

164 pp., color images.

Paperback - $45 + shipping
Download - $20 - no shipping

Click Here to Order

Backpacker Painting
Outdoors with Oil & Pastel

by Michael Chesley Johnson

"One of the most rewarding ways to paint en plein air is to go out with the least equipment and materials possible. Backpacker Painting, the title of this book, sums it up. If I can squeeze whatever I need into my backpack, then I can paint anywhere my feet can take me.

"But Backpacker Painting isn't just an approach to equipment and materials. It's also an attitude. If you approach the act of painting outdoors with the philosophy of portability, you can practice 'backpacker painting' anywhere. You don't have to hike into the wilderness and brave the bears. You can do it in your front yard.

"There are many situations where you can strip down your gear, both mental and physical. If you can do the job with just a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, why take the whole hardware store with you? This book will show you how to simplify your painting life."

Backpacker Painting has 164 pages filled with 12 demonstrations. 72 paintings and 125 illustrations.

 

Backpacker Painting
includes:

  • Ways to Strip Down Your Gear
  • Michael's Methods
  • Demonstrations in Both Oil & Pastel
  • Tips for Capturing the Landscape Quickly, Easily
  • Pages from Michael's Journals
  • Plus Travel Guide and Special Adventure Sections to Push You to the Next Level as a Painter!

Click on pages
at left for a preview

(each image loads in a new window)

 

Backpacker Painting
Table of Contents

 

More About Through a Painter's Brush

140 pp., 150 color images.

Paperback - $30 + shipping
Download - $20 - no shipping
Hardcover - $45 + shipping

Click Here to Order

Through a Painter's Brush
A Year on Campobello Island

by Michael Chesley Johnson

"I'm proud to announce that my new book is in print at last.  I know some of  you have been anticipating this book almost as much as I have!  I've spent the last year painting all over this Canadian island and across the border in neighboring Lubec, Maine.  My book is a compilation of the paintings and my observations on the painting process as they relate to this grand adventure.

"I wanted to write a book that offered useful advice without ending up as just one more art instruction book. I also wanted a book that offered a bounty of paintings for the collector's eye without ending up as just one more 'coffee table' book with very little textual reference.  So, I've created this book to please both student and collector.

"Through a Painter's Brush has 140 pages filled with over 150 images -- 55 oils and 20 pastels of maritime scenery complete with detail shots and illustrative photos, two demonstrations in oil and pastel, and, of course, my meditations on plein air painting."

 

Through a Painter's Brush
includes:

  • Essays on the Painting Process
  • Tips for Painters
  • Michael's Materials & Process
  • Two Demonstrations
  • 75 Paintings Plus Closeups of Detail

Click on pages
at left for a preview

(each image loads in a new window)

 

Through a Painter's Brush
Table of Contents


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