LIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP
From Field to Finish
with Michael Chesley Johnson, Master Artist & Mentor
By the end of this course, you’ll have a proven, repeatable process for carrying the life, color truth, and spontaneity of your plein air studies into resolved, larger studio paintings — so the best of what you captured outdoors is never lost again.
You Will Learn:
How to work from a plein air study,
How to “read” what they actually captured, and
How to make intentional decisions about what to preserve, what to amplify, and what to reinvent in the studio.
Audience: Fine Art Painters
Medium: Oil, Acrylic, Pastel
Stages: Emerging, Accomplished
Session Dates & Times:
November 14, 21, 28, Dec 5, 12, 19
10 am-12 pm MST / 12 pm-2 pm EST /
5 pm-7 pm GMT
$550.00
10 in stock
WORKSHOP Description
Most plein air painters know the feeling: you come home from the field with a study that has life, color truth, and spontaneity — and then somewhere between that small canvas and the larger studio painting, something dies. The work gets tighter. The color goes flat. The light mood that was so vivid outdoors becomes a memory you can’t quite recover.
This is one of the most common frustrations among intermediate and advanced painters, and it rarely gets addressed directly. Plein air workshops teach you to paint outside. Studio courses teach technique and composition. But very few workshops focus on the translation — the specific skills required to carry the vitality of an outdoor study into a resolved, larger work.
From Field to Finish is designed to close that gap.
What This Course Offers
This six-week online workshop guides painters through the complete arc from intentional outdoor observation to a finished studio painting. Each week builds on the last, creating a progressive framework that students can return to and use independently long after the course ends.
The course is grounded in two areas where the instructor brings particular depth: observation and color. Rather than teaching a generic painting process, it focuses on the specific perceptual and color skills that make the difference between a studio painting that feels alive and one that feels copied.
Course Structure
From Field to Finish runs six weeks, with one session per week. Each session combines instructor demonstration, concept presentation, and a focused assignment that builds directly toward the student’s final studio painting.
The arc of the course moves through four natural phases:
Gathering (Weeks 1–2) — Students learn to observe and paint with intention in the field, then develop the skill of reading their own studies accurately.
Planning (Weeks 3–4) — Students learn to identify and consciously choose a color key, then move through composition, editing, and design decisions for the larger work.
Translating (Week 5) — Students begin their studio painting with specific strategies for maintaining vitality and gestural energy at a larger scale.
Resolving (Week 6) — Students bring their paintings to completion, participate in group critique, and reflect on building a sustainable field-to-studio practice.
By the end of the course, each student will have completed a minimum of two intentional plein air studies, a series of preparatory exercises, and one resolved studio painting developed from their field work.
🎥 WORKSHOP RECORDINGS available for 1-YEAR after the workshop ends!
🎥 NOTE: Workshop Recordings may be offered for sale at a future date at Mastrius, with the consent of the instructor.
High School, University, and College students get 20% OFF. See FAQs at the bottom of page.
Supply List
For Gathering Reference Materials
• Small sketchbook (9×12 or similar) plus 6B graphite pencil and eraser.
• View finder (https://colorwheelco.com/buy-
• Color sketching materials of your choice in a small format (5×7 up to 9×12) – materials can be anything you choose, such as oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, etc., and also include a good supply of inexpensive matboard, gessoed paper, etc., to sketch on
• Digital camera or smartphone for taking reference photos
Miscellaneous Outdoor Gear
• Field easel
• Umbrella: Not necessary, but helpful in intense sunlight.
• Stool: Not necessary, but if you must sit to paint, I strongly suggest a camp stool or collapsible chair.
• Paper towels and small garbage bags
• Hat, sunblock and water bottle
• Appropriate clothing and shoewear.
For Studio Work
I work in two mediums, oil and pastel. What follows is a list of what I suggest for these, but feel free to use whatever medium you’re most famiilar with.
General
The following are for making value sketches in preparation for creating studio paintings.
• Vine charcoal
• 6B pencil
• Hard grey pastels: Set of greys in a variety of values from light to dark, hard pastels preferred
• Sketchpaper pad (9×12 or bigger)
For Oil Painters
• Paints: Split-primary palette with cool and warm versions of yellow, red and blue. My personal palette consists of: Hansa Yellow Light, Hansa Yellow Deep, Naphthol Red, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Green (or Viridian), Titanium-Zinc White, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, all from Gamblin.
• Thinner: Gamsol
• Medium: Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel
• Panels: Ampersand Gessobord (9×12 for field studies, 12×16 or larger for studio pieces) or homemade panels (I prefer to make my own as they are more absorbent)
• Brushes: Hog Bristle Flats (#10, #8, #4)
• Also: Wet panel carrier, container for thinner. Good wet panel carriers are from www.panelpak.com and Handy Porter.
For Pastel Painters
• Pastels: Full set or hard pastels; plus a good selection of softer pastels. My personal palette includes Polychromos for the hard pastels, and for the softer ones, Mount Vision, Terry Ludwig, Girault, Blue Earth, Unison, Rembrandt.
• Paper: Sanded pastel paper (9×12 for field studies; 12×16 or larger for studio work.). I use UArt 500-grit.
• Backboard to tape paper to
• Masking tape
• Solvent (optional): either alcohol or Gamsol. If you plan to use solvent for a wash, use an old bristle brush and a container for the solvent.
Note: Most of these supplies can be ordered from www.dickblick.com.
Instructor Bio
Michael paints primarily outdoors in oil, pastel or gouache, choosing locations from the American Southwest, Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. He has 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.
Michael was awarded Master Pastellist status by Pastel Artists Canada in 2008, and he is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, the Pastel Society of America, and Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. His paintings have appeared in many magazines and are in both corporate and private collections. He was featured in The Artist’s Magazine in September 2013.
Michael is a nationally-known teacher, giving workshops across the U.S. A frequent writer for The Artist’s Magazine, Pastel Journal, Watercolor Artist and PleinAir Magazine, he is the author of several books, including Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air.
Michael maintains a summer studio on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada, and a winter studio in northern New Mexico.
LIVE COURSE FAQ
How many registrations are required for a course to start?
A minimum of 8 registrations are required. If 8 registrations are not received by the time the course is 24 hours from starting, the course will be cancelled and all registrants will receive complete refunds.
What is the maximum number of people in a course?
This varies for each course. The maximum number of registrations is decided by the instructor.
Can I get a refund?
Up until 72 hours before a course’s first session you can receive a complete refund. You can cancel your registration via the My Account portal, or by contacting Registrations@Mastrius.com.
After this time no refunds will be given (if you have extenuating circumstances you believe justify a refund, contact us at Registrations@Mastrius.com).
Can I register for a course already in progress?
No. Once a course has started, no new registrations are accepted.
Where will my course be held?
All courses meet online over Zoom. You will need a device equipped with a camera and a microphone to fully participate.
If you have not used Zoom before, learn about how to use it here.
If you don’t regularly use Zoom, we recommend you join your first session 10-15 minutes early in case your computer needs to install or update Zoom.
How do I join my course?
You will receive a welcome email from Registrations@Mastrius.com when you register. This email includes the Zoom link to join your course session. You will also receive 24 hour and 2 hour reminder emails before each session, and each of these emails includes the Zoom link. You can also access the Zoom link to join your course in your MastriusChat group.
Are the sessions recorded?
Yes, every session is recorded and are typically available 24 hours after a session ends. All session recordings will remain available for the duration of the course, and for ONE YEAR following the last session. The recordings are viewable within the MastriusChat platform, and cannot be downloaded.
Workshop recordings may be offered for sale at a future time at Mastrius, with the consent of the instructor.
What if I miss a session?
You’ll be able to watch the session’s recording. If you have questions the recording doesn’t address, you can ask them in the chat feed of your course’s private MastriusChat group.
What is MastriusChat?
MastriusChat is an online discussion platform. You and your fellow course registrants will be assigned to a private MastriusChat group where you can connect and support eachother via the chat “feed”. Your group is also where you’ll access the session recordings. Other resources in your MastriusChat group include a link to join your course sessions, and a library your instructor can use to share resources.
What is a Navigator?
A Navigator is an artist who joins your course to ensure both instructor and registrants have an enjoyable experience. They support (as required) with technology, timekeeping, moderating questions, and between-session discussions on MastriusChat. The Navigator has also joined the course as participant, and just like you, they’re wanting to grow their skills and learn the material.
I’m not ready to register because I still have questions. Who do I contact?
We’d be happy to help!
Reach out to us at Mastrius@Mastrius.com and we’ll do our best to support you.
Get the STUDENT DISCOUNT
High School, University, and College students get 20% off ANY course (non-member price).
To claim this discount email mastrius@mastrius.com to enroll in the Student Program.