These are products that I use personally in both my oil and pastel painting, both in the studio and out in the field. I've spent years fine-tuning my painting setups and my choices of materials that I use. These items provide consistent, surpassing results with my techniques.

In addition, I've listed some resources that I've found invaluable over the years in my own education. DVDs, books, online communities -- please look through these and consider them as tools for your own development. - Michael

Painting - Pastel

• Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper. Consistent texture, paper that can take a lot of pastel.
• Rtistx Panels. A good, fine grit applied to a foam board. (Also suitable for oil.)

Painting - Oil

• Ampersand Gessobord. My favourite commercially-prepared surface for oil.
• Gamblin Colors. Excellent, consistent oils and mediums.

Equipment

• Easels: Guerrilla Paintbox: Everything fits in this one box! Both oil and pastel setups.
• Pastel Boxes: Heilman Designs. The Heilman Backpack box fits lots of pastels.
• Brushes: Silver Brush Ltd. "Grand Prix". Natural bristles.

Communications - Links to the Arts Community

• Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy
• Fundy Art : Artists with studios in the Bay of Fundy area
• Landscape Artists International
• International Plein Air Painters
• Pastel Artists Canada
• Pastel Painters of Maine
• Pastel Society of New Mexico
• Vermont Pastel Society
• Pastel Society of America
• Oil Painters of America
• Art for Patronage: Bringing Patrons & Artists Together
• Highlands Art: Artists who serve as guides for local areas to paint int
• Artshow.com: A great listing of workshops, tutorials and the like.
• WetCanvas!:  A superb on-line community.
• Robert Genn's Twice Weekly Letter:  Inspirational thoughts and darn good advice
• Artists in Canada
• Artists Who Teach - A resource of artist-teachers

Instruction & Learning

• Artist Productions - DVDs and tapes of instructors such as Bob Rohm, Albert Handell, Ann Templeton and Kevin MacPherson
• Friar's Bay Studio Gallery - Michael's open studio, workshop space and gallery on Campobello Island.

Magazines

These are magazines Michael writes for.

• The Artist's Magazine
• The Pastel Journal
• Watercolor Artist
• CreateBetterPaintings.com: Online art magazine

Recommended Reading List

My book, Through a Painter's Brush: A Year on Campobello Island, has lots of mini-essays on my painting process plus demonstrations.  (Order from my website.)

The "Bibles" of Outdoor Painting:

• Guide to Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson.
• Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne.

Solid Books on Painting, Plein air or Studio, Oil or Pastel:

• Landscape Painting In and Out by Kevin Macpherson.
• Gruppe on Painting, Brushwork for the Oil Painter, Gruppe on Color by Emile Gruppe.
• Painting the Landscape in Pastel by Albert Handell & Anita Louise West
• Plein Air Painting in Watercolor & Oil by Frank LaLumia
• Capturing Light in Oils by Paul Strisik.
• Problem Solving for Oil Painters by Gregg Kreutz.
• Painting the Impressionist Landscape by Lois Griffel.
• Color and Beyond by Ann Templeton & Eugene Mendonsa

More books:

• Hongnian Zhang, The Yin/Yang of Painting
• For advanced painting concepts, read The Art Spirit by Robert Henri, Hawthorne on Painting by Charles Hawthorne, and Richard Schmid's Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting.
• An Artist's Way of Seeing by Mary Whyte - a very readable book on learning how to move beyond technique and into bringing the "moment" to your landscapes

Music

How can anyone paint in the studio without music? Here are some artists and groups that Michael listens to when he paints:

• Richard Ruane - www.RichardRuane.com
• Coyote Old Man - www.CoyoteOldMan.com
• Antony and the Johnsons - www.antonyandthejohnsons.com
• Cowboy Junkies - www.cowboyjunkies.com
• Patti Smith - www.pattismith.net
• Grateful Dead - www.dead.net
• Moby - www.moby.com

  Other painting music includes but is not limited to: Julee Cruise, Philip Glass, Enya, Puccini, Mahler, Bach, Beethoven, Satie, Debussy, and more!

Spirit

And finally, how can anyone paint at all unless the landscape speaks to one's spiritual side?

• Anglican Church of Canada
• Anglican Communion
• Anglo-Catholic Central
• www.EWTN.com