August Workshop

Workshop
The Luminous Landscape
August 10-11
Tuition: 300.00
Location: China Camp, San Rafael

The practice of art can be part of our daily experience. Through this practice, we begin to realize a deeper communion with the world we live in and new ways of seeing. This 2 -day workshop is geared toward beginner/intermediate and intermediate painters, working in oil. We will discuss the importance of thumbnail sketching as an important tool for developing composition and ideas for paintings.
The primary focus will be on how to convey the sense of strong directional light in your paintings by clarifying and pushing the values. We will also work on value patterns and shapes to help in developing successful compositions. There will be discussions on materials, scene selection and brushwork. I will do a demonstration painting each day, and work with students individually on their paintings throughout the day as we paint outdoors. The workshop will be held at the historic China Camp Park in San Rafael. This small fishing village, consisting of several rustic buildings, is nestled on the edge of the bay with a backdrop of Marin's golden hills. Additional motifs include views of the bay and a small island. Limited to 15 students maximum
Hours 9-4pm

Contact Info:
Email info@johnmccormick.com or call studio at 415-924-1624

Spring Update

 Thoreau said that any day he didn't take a least four hours to walk in the woods was a wasted day. I remember reading this years ago and have since tried to apply it to continuing my daily practice of painting.  I try to paint each day either on location or in the studio. I live near an area called "horse hill" and have been taking walks there regularly for years.  There is a stable for horses below the hill and these beautiful animals roam around on the ridges all day, eating and doing horse things.
I've posted a recent horse painting and some of my new landscape paintings.  Hope you enjoy them.

Painting Workshop at Sedona Art Center  April 29th - May 3rd, 2013
I have been asked to teach a paintng workshop at the Sedona Art Center again.  The dates are April 29 to May 3rd.  Hope to see some of you there.  You can read about details concerning the class on my website or go to the Sedona Art Center Website.  Have a great day!

Fall Workshop at Sedona Art Center

Hi Everyone,  I will be teaching a five day intensive painting workshop  at the Sedona Art Center in beautiful  Sedona, Arizona.  The classes will be part of an ongoing series of workshops at the center. The date of the upcoming workshop are  October 1-5 2012 and April 29- May 3, 2013.  The workshop invites painters at all levels to immerse themselves in five days of on site and studio  landscape painting.

If you are interested in taking the workshop, check out the links below.

Here are the links to the workshops -

Fall Workshop Oct 1 – 5, 2012

Spring Workshop  Apr 29 -  May 3, 2013

March 2012 "Taking Flight"

  Living on the coast of California I have  seen hang gliders going off the hills and cliffs along the coast for many years.  As I watch them, I am reminded of mans' continuing fascination with flight and the early drawings of Leonardo and others.  Some years ago I did a painting entitled  "Night Flying".  the painting pictured here is a split plane showing an image of a man in flight under an atmospheric sky at dusk.  Below, in the split plane you see references to early Leonardo drawings and the musings of the master; a reference to art history.

I have recently decided to revisit this theme in part because I do not believe it was ever fully realized before and I want to explore it further; and because of the many layered associations with man in flight.

In the painting below entitled "Above the Pacific Light" we see the lone hang glider floating easily above the fog drenched coast.  The late afternoon light streaming across the top of the fog and hills propels  us forward into the reflective light of the distant horizon. The painting is 48x48 oil on canvas.

2011 Marin Open Studio

MARIN OPEN STUDIO

My paintings will be part of the this years Marin Open Studio.  The following is a sample of some of the smaller paintings I have put together for this event.  I hope you can stop by. Enjoy!

Saturday and Sunday May 7th and 8th and May 14th and 15th, 2010

My studio will be open from 10 am - 6 pm

The address is 20 Fairview Ave, Corte Madera, CA 94925

Studio Phone: 415-924-1624  

Cell: 415-328-2082

Directions: Tamalpais Ave, Left on Sausalito to top of hill, Left on Madrono, Left Fairview to the top of hill. Park on street, walk into cul-de-sac. Signs will be out front. Enter studio through garden gate.

                                  October Light                       12x24   oil on panel

                                 Valley of the Moon        11x14            oil on panel

                                  Red Tree, Hillside           12x12         oil on panel

                                 Pt. Reyes Afternoon #1        12x24         oil on panel

                                 January light           9x12                        oil on canvas

                                 January Farm House         9x12           oil on linen

February Light  11x 14  oil on panel