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Frequently-Asked Questions | Back to Paint Sedona!
Have a question? Ask Michael and he'll post the answer here.
1. What are the different workshop types? back to questions
Three different types of workshops are offered, as follows:
Each week features a different workshop. Please see the schedule on the main page. Workshops are scheduled so that students can attend multiple workshops that are in a natural progression - basic to advanced to mentoring. You are invited to take more than one week! Some students have done so and have really grown in their work.
Traditional Plein Air Workshop
All levels of student are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Students may work in pastel or oil or other medium by arrangement. They can expect daily lectures and demonstrations on the basics plus personal help at the easel. Because painting outdoors has its own challenges, students should have taken at least one studio class in their chosen medium and be familiar with it and also their equipment.
Advanced Topic Workshop
This workshop is only for intermediate to advanced students. Students are expected to be comfortable with painting outdoors and their chosen medium. Students may work in any medium, but Michael will work in oil or pastel. They can expect demonstrations, critiques and plenty of "art talk." This winter's advanced topic is large format painting. Students will work in sizes 16"x20" or larger.
Mentoring Workshop
This workshop is only for intermediate to advanced students or professionals. Students are expected to be comfortable with painting outdoors and their chosen medium. Students may work in any medium, but Michael will work in oil or pastel.
In the mentoring workshop, you'll have the chance to learn the finer elements of painting, information that usually isn't handled in a regular workshop. But it's not just about advanced instruction. It's an opportunity for the serious painter to address issues that are bigger than mere craft. As you work shoulder-to-shoulder with an experienced professional, you may:
Or, if you just want to paint with a "guide" without reevaluating your life, you can do that, too! You can consider it a painting holiday or artist retreat, or just a time to paint without instruction and to meet other artists.
Mentoring originated from Greek mythology, in which Mentor was a wise and trusted advisor to Odysseus. Under Mentor's direction and guidance, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, became a much-loved ruler. Today, a mentor is an advisor and supporter, and perhaps even a friend and role model, of someone pursuing specific goals.
Because people have different goals and life experiences, mentoring isn't a science. Instead, it requires the mentor to carefully assess each case and to respond accordingly and effectively.
2. How do I get to Sedona? back to questions
Sedona is 2 hours (121 miles) by car from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (PHX). It's an easy drive, mostly in Interstate 17. Here's the map from Google:
Click for Larger Map and to View Complete Directions
3. What about travelling with paints? back to questions
Oil paints you can either ship ahead or put in your checked luggage. You shouldn't have any problem with them, since they are "artist's oil colors" made with vegetable oil and have a very high flash point. However, don't take mediums (e.g. Liquin) or solvents (e.g. Turpenoid), all of which are highly flammable. These you will need to ship ahead or purchase at Sedona Art Supply. (Michael will have a quantity of Turpenoid available at the studio.) For details on traveling with paint, see Robert Gamblin's Studio Note #14.
Pastels you should take in your carry-on luggage. Put them in a container that will be easy for security to open, such as the Heilman Pastel Box. Make sure the container can be easily secured again so your pastels don't go spilling down the aisle.
If you need to ship your materials ahead, you are welcome to - just let us know.
4. What's the weather like? back to questions
Sedona sits in a valley at 4,300 feet, halfway in elevation between the Colorado Plateau to the north and the Sonoran Desert to the south. It has a generally mild climate. Nighttime temperatures may dip below freezing in winter with occasional snowfall on the surrounding mountains. Days are often bright, sunny and not too cold. It makes for great hiking and painting weather!
| Av. High | Av.Low | Av. Rainfall | Av. Sun | |
| Nov | 65°F | 37°F | 1.3 in | 76% |
| Dec | 56°F | 31°F | 1.7 in | 74% |
| Jan | 55°F | 30°F | 1.7 in | 77% |
| Feb | 59°F | 32°F | 1.5 in | 73% |
| Mar | 63°F | 35°F | 1.7 in | 76% |
| Apr | 72°F | 42°F | 1.2 in | 83% |
5. Do you offer a package price? back to questions
Although we are not offering lodging this year, if you'd like us to put together a "package" for you, let us know. We have some local B&Bs we can work with.
6. Do you have lodging suggestions? back to questions
Check with the Sedona Tourism Bureau for lodging at www.visitsedona.com. Our studio (Pumphouse Studio Gallery) is centrally located in the Gallery District, on Highway 179 right across the street from Tlaquepaque.
7. What's the daily schedule for the class? back to questions
The workshop consists of four days (Tuesday-Friday unless otherwise noted.) Two days are "long" and run 9-3; two days are half-days and run 9-1. Tuesday and Thursday are "long" days, and Wednesday and Friday are half-days. You get 20 hours of instruction. Each day, we meet promptly at 9. By agreement, we may meet at other times.
We recommend that you take advantage of your stay in Sedona and fly in on Saturday or Sunday to give you a couple days in which to explore the area before the workshop. Not only will this give you time to become acclimated to the somewhat higher altitude, it will give you time to become familiar with the "motifs" of the area - the beautiful red rocks, the cottonwoods and sycamores, and the rushing waters of Oak Creek.
8. What media will we be using? back to questions
Although Michael will concentrate in oil and pastel, all media are welcome. A supply list for either oil or pastel will be sent to you upon receipt of deposit.
9. What should I expect? back to questions
Read the workshop descriptions carefully, and if you have specific questions or concerns, please ask Michael.
10. Who is Michael Chesley Johnson? back to questions
Landscape
painter Michael Chesley Johnson was named a Master Pastellist of Pastel Artists
Canada in 2008. In addition, he's a Signature Member of both the Pastel Society
of America and the Pastel Society of New Mexico and a juried member of Oil Painters
of America. He's the author of Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil &
Pastel, Through a Painter's Brush: A Year on Campobello Island
and The Art of Ann Templeton. A regular contributor for The Artist's
Magazine, The Pastel Journal and Watercolor Artist, he is a popular
workshop instructor in both the US and Canada. He has been invited five times
to the prestigious Sedona Plein Air Festival. His partner and workshop facilitator
is Trina Stephenson. For more, please see his website: www.MichaelChesleyJohnson.com
and A Plein Air Painter's Blog at http://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com.
11. Where can I get more information about the Sedona area? back to questions
You might check out the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, the Sedona Tourism Bureau and the Sedona Gallery Association.
12. Can I see more pictures of the area? back to questions
Click on image for larger view
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Want to see more pictures? Click here for the 2009 Winter PaintSedona photos! And here for 2010 Winter PaintSedona!
13. What's a good way to prepare for the workshop? back to questions
One of the best ways, of course, is to simply - paint! William F. Reese said, "If you paint 3 days a week, you stay the same; if you paint 4, you will improve." I also recommending reading some good books on plein air painting. I've creatd a list on Amazon.com that has some suggested books. Here is the list. If you've not painted en plein air or outdoors before, I recommend my online course, Prepare for Plein Air.
14. Can I stay longer and take a second week? back to questions
Of course! We've arranged the schedule so the weeks make a natural progression, from basic to advanced to mentoring. You can take one week - or several!
15. Why do you have "long" days and half-days? back to questions
As noted above, the workshop runs Tuesday-Friday unless otherwise noted. Tuesdays and Thursdays are "long" days that run 9-3. Wednesdays and Fridays are half-days that run 9-1. The "long" days allow for longer demonstrations and more student painting time. The half-days give you afternoons to either paint more on your own or to explore the area.
16. What about rainy days? back to questions
We'll do our best to paint every session outdoors, but once in awhile, we may have a day that will force us indoors. In that case, we have a 500 square foot studio space available to us at Pumphouse Studio Gallery. Pumphouse Studio Gallery is located in the Creekside plaza, right across Highway 179 from Tlaquepaque and right by Oak Creek. For more about the studio space, visit www.PumphouseStudioGallery.com. The address is 251 Highway 179, Suite A-1. The workshop will be based here.
Come join us!