Here’s a Bit about Me…

I paint primarily outdoors in oil, pastel or gouache, choosing locations from the American Southwest, Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. I’ve been invited repeatedly to national plein air events and most recently was on the distinguished faculty of the annual Plein Air Convention & Expo in Denver, Colorado.

I was awarded Master Pastellist status by Pastel Artists Canada in 2008, and I’m a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and Plein Air Painters of New Mexico plus a past signature member of several national organizations. (Read here to learn why I let these memberships lapse.) My paintings have appeared in many magazines and are in both corporate and private collections. I was featured in The Artist’s Magazine in September 2013.

I specialize in plein air painting, giving workshops across the U.S. A frequent writer for The Artist’s Magazine, Pastel Journal, Watercolor Artist and PleinAir Magazine, I’m the author of several books, including Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air.

And beyond painting, I have a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Georgia and an M.A. in English Literature from Middlebury College, Bread Loaf School of English.  Plus, many years experience working in the IT field.  How has this helped me?  I don’t know, but life is good!

Photo Ben Sandoval

Member | The Circle of Gamblin Artists + Educators

Past Master Signature Member: Pastel Artists Canada
Past Signature Member: Pastel Society of America
Past Signature Member: Pastel Painters of New Mexico

Signature Member: American Impressionist Society, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico

On Faculty of Plein Air Convention & Expo: Las Vegas 2012, Santa Fe 2022, Denver 2023

Invited Artist to Following Plein Air Events:

• Grand Canyon Celebration of Art (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)
• Sedona Plein Air Festival (2006-2011, 2014-2016, 2025)
• Zion Plein Air Festival (2011)
• Castine (Maine) Plein Air Festival (2013-2016, Judge of Awards in 2017)
• Montague (Prince Edward Island) Plein Air Festival (as Judge of Awards, 2014)
• Prescott Plein Air Festival (2022)

Major Book Published: Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors (Soho Publications, NY, 2022)

Frequent Contributor for Art Magazines since 2001:

• PleinAir Magazine
• The Artists Magazine
• Pastel Journal
• Watercolor Artist
• Southwest Art
• American Artist

Teacher of Plein Air Painting Workshops and Leader of Painting Retreats since 2001

• Many states in the US
• Eastern Canada
• Scotland

Social Media

• Website: www.MChesleyJohnson.com
• Substack (blog): mchesleyjohnson.substack.com
• Instagram: @mchesleyjohnson
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@pleinairpainter
• Bluesky: @mchesleyjohnson.com
• Facebook: @mchesleyjohnsonstudio

Besides 25 years of teaching privately, I’ve also taught at workshop centers and for art groups such as the following: Northwest Pastel Society (Gig Harbor, WA); Green Drake Gallery (Milheim, PA); Art Barn (Valparaiso, IN); Acadia Workshop Center (Southwest Harbor, ME); Sedona Arts Center (Sedona, AZ); Old Forge Arts Center (Old Forge, NY); Sunbury Shores Art & Nature Centre (St Andrews, NB); Pastel Artists Canada (Burlington, ON); New Hampshire Plein Air (Goffstown, NH); Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod (Barnstable, MA); York Art Association (York, ME): Springfield Area Pastelists (Springfield, IL); Los Reyes Gallery (Tubac, AZ); Bay River Art Guild (Daphne, AL); Roswell Museum (Roswell, NM); Hubbard Museum of the American West (Riudoso, NM); ArtCenter Traverse City (Traverse City, MI); Lawrence Academy (Lawrence, MA); Vermont Pastel Society (Montpelier, VT); Cloudcroft Art Workshops (Cloudcroft, NM); Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (Baltimore, MD); Water Street Studios (Batavia, IL); Eastport Arts Center (Eastport, ME); Pastel Society of El Paso (El Paso, TX); Ellis County Art Association (Waxahachie, TX); Middlebury Studio School (Middlebury, VT); Toledo Artists Club (Toledo, OH); Wilmington Art Association (Wilmington NC); Coastal Maine Art Workshops (Rockland, ME); Tucson Pastel Society (Tucson, AZ); Central Ohio Plein Air (Columbus OH); Ohio Plein Air Society (Cincinnatti, OH); Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute (Grand Canyon, AZ); Tempe Art Guild (Tempe, AZ); Plein Air Live and Pastel Live (online, for PleinAir Magazine); Arizona Plein Air Painters (Phoenix, AZ); 2022 Plein Air Convention and Expo (Santa Fe, NM); 2023 Plein Air Convention and Expo (Denver, CO); 2023 Art Fest Mesa (Mesa, AZ); 2024-present Mastrius Mentoring; Southeastern Pastel Society (Zoom demo), 2024; Mastrius Live Demo, 2024; Art School Live with Eric Rhoads, 2025.

Hey, I also play the bass guitar.

Watch this video interview with me, conducted by Michael King of Artful Minds