Artist, author and instructor Michael Chesley Johnson loves both the American Southwest and the Canadian Maritimes. That’s why he does the 3500-mile drive twice a year. “I live half the year among the whales and bald eagles of Campobello Island, and the other half among the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.” He also divides his time between painting in oils and in pastels. Shown here are three pastel sketches and an oil sketch done with palette knives (bottom).

“I love to see new places. Before I became a full-time painter, it was to hike and explore. I love natural scenery, so I tend to steer away from cities. But I’m not averse to exploring small towns. The smallest ones seem to be as much a part of the surrounding nature as any quiet bend in the river.”

Once he turned to painting full time, he found that it enhanced his travels. “Really, painting is a way of seeing. It’s another way of experiencing the world. I like it better than keeping a written journal, better than taking hundreds of photographs. My sketches and paintings are how I view the world. They are a way of sharing my very personal experiences in a very public way.”

His blog covers not only plein air painting but also studio painting, tips and technique, demos, gear, surveys (Who’s Buying Paintings These Days?), festivals (including the recent Plein Air Convention in Las Vegas, where he was a featured presenter), the business side of being an artist, and many other topics.

His instructional videos are available on his website and also on udemy, Artists Network TV, Vimeo and YouTube.

Margaret Farrell Bruno was first introduced to plein air painting over 30 years ago while still in high school apprenticing for a local artist in her seaside community. It was at this time also that she picked up her first set of pastels and oils and the mutual love for all began. After  graduating with a BFA from Pratt Institute in New York, Margaret was drawn back to the ocean and has resided there with her husband and family ever since.

Her community of Marshfield, Ma offers hundreds of inspiring locations from beach scenes to local cranberry bogs, along with the tidal rivers and marshes the area is known for. Incorporating these many locales, Margaret strives to capture the natural light, color and atmosphere of the scene before her. Having learned from experience how quickly you must work while on location, when working in pastel, Margaret first paints a quick watercolor underpainting which allows her not only to block in her design and composition, but also creates a luminosity which reads through in her subsequent layers of pastels. She continues to build the piece to give it depth and color clarity. She challenges herself to capture the excitement and essence of the scene and have the viewer experience these same feelings.

Margaret also enjoys painting portraits and larger studio landscape paintings. When painting her studio pieces she uses her plein air pieces as reference whenever possible to keep the vitality and the color true to the original scene.

Margaret is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and President of the North River Arts Society. She has taught workshops and classes in pastel at several area venues and is offering a class focusing on the use of the computer for preparing your digital submissions for juried shows and for promotional materials. She finds teaching a rewarding way to pass on her knowledge while helping others attain new personal goals in art.  Margaret is represented by The Kendall Art Gallery in Wellfleet on Cape Cod and Expressions in Scituate Harbor. You can view more of her art work and current class listings at mfbruno.com or follow her blog at mfbruno.blogspot.com

“I am a Pennsylvanian by birth, an Arizonian by love, a Texan by choice for now.  Red rocks, oak creek, and Grand Canyon. I still have a residence in Arizona, so I will continue to paint the beautiful southwest. Now, though, I am in Texas painting trees, fields, boats, creeks, and small towns. In fact, 3 of my new Texas paintings have been accepted to the Plein Air Southwest Outdoor Painters Society Show in Dallas. I will be there for the quick draw and reception April 7th.  AND the greatest news! I have  been given an artist in residency in Dinan, France for the month of July 2012!  This is such a great honor and I am so excited! Below is “Fields of Color,” one of the accepted works.

I was drawn to Arizona by its light, open spaces and beautiful canyons. My inspiration is the glow of color on Sedona’s red rocks,  land vistas with enormous clouds,  water reflections in Oak Creek, and the varied tree forms of the Southwest. I am awed by the beauty of this land, and just want to communicate to the viewer a sense of place, a glimpse out the car window, or the interesting light and color patterns that make up these views.

Plein air painting has always been my first love, even way back in the 1970′s when abstract studio was being taught in art school, I just wanted to be outside doing landscapes.  I am now pursuing this professionally, winning several awards at various plein air competitions around the country.  This year will be my third year in the Sedona Plein Air Invitational.  One of the great things about plein air competitions is the comraderie and stories other plein air artists share when we all get together.  War stories, mostly, fighting bugs, dogs, wind, heat, cold, children playing tag using your easel as base, trying to explain “loose” to the guy that asks “are you gonna leave it like that?”

The best days are the challenge of walking away with a little piece of either a wondrous view or trying to find the interesting design; to try to reproduce some essence of that, makes for a real sense of accomplishment. Not every attempt is successful, but recognizing that each day in the field is never wasted, some learning and growing as an artist has taken place.”

Martin F. Arriola was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, as an Illustration Major.

Martin has designed and developed products for Mattel Inc. for the past 25 years. Approximately five years ago he purchased Richard Schmid’s book “Alla Prima”, which convinced him to return to his passion for painting.

Ninety percent of Martin’s work is done in Plein Air or from the live model. He currently conducts a Sketching for Illustration Workshop every Thursday evening at Mattel where he and his fellow designers draw and paint from the costumed model.

Martin works primarily in Oils for landscapes and also works in Watercolor and Pastels in the Workshop. He is an Artist member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.