SOLO EXHIBITION MARCH 20 - MAY 1, 2010

John McCormick
New Landscapes and Portraits

Thursday Morning               48 x 48                                 oil on linen

The painting shown above will be part of a one-man exhibition of paintings to be shown at  the Elins Eagle Smith Gallery in San Francisco.  This is the first one man show of my work in the Bay Area in three years and I am looking forward to the opening on Saturday March 20th from 2 to 4pm.  I have been working for the past year on this new body of work and am thrilled at the prospect of finally seeing it on the walls.  Included in the show will be several new landscapes and a number of portraits.  Most of you may be  familiar with my landscapes, but for this, my first show of the new decade, I decided to hang portraits of those people who have informed and inspired my thinking regarding the landscape and our environment. It is a project that will be ongoing, paying homage to and recognizing the efforts and contributions of everyone from Thoreau, and Muir, to David Brower and Robert Redford.

David Brower

Teddy Roosevelt

                          

 John Muir

Robert Redford

I look forward to seeing you at the reception on March 20th at the Elin Eagles Smith Gallery.  The gallery is located at 49 Geary St., 5th floor in San Francisco.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or contact the gallery directly.  The gallery phone number is 415-981-1080

SMALL TREASURES AT ELINS EAGLES-SMITH

Small Treasures at Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco 

February 3 – 27, 2010

John McCormick, Bolinas Lagoon, 2007

The  exhibition of “small treasures” at Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery gathers together some thirty-five works in smaller format by ten gallery artists. All of the artists in this show are well-known in the Bay Area and include Jennifer Bain, Jan Gauthier, John Goodman, Wade Hoefer, Frances McCormack, John McCormick, Timothy McDowell, Tom Monaghan, Jeanne Mullen, Kenjilo Nanao, Bob Nugent, and Gustavo Ramos Rivera. Hoefer, McCormack, Nanao and Rivera have only one piece on view, but these are noteworthy, particularly McCormack’s Stems III (2010) and Rivera’s Heartbreak (2009), a small bold abstract painting of simple red, blue, yellow and black shapes balanced against one another on a red background framed in black. The shapes themselves are reminiscent of the heart and its chambers, but more evocative than these is the energetic conversation that takes place between these balanced figures, a rhythm of pure color and abstract shapes. This looks like a throwback to Abstract Expressionism, but the freshness of the images and the direct application of the paint are refreshing and particularly appealing on a smaller scale.




My favorite pieces in this exhibition, however, are two small and intimate landscapes by John McCormick, Bolinas Lagoon (2007) and Near Stinson Beach (2007), and four pastel drawings of the same high-walled, rural building in different light and bright colors by Jeanne Mullen, from her series Montalpruno (2004). For those of us who are local Bay Area residents, who know well and love the intricacies and small beauties of the landscape along the coast near Stinson Beach and the Bolinas Lagoon, McCormick’s paintings are in fact a delightful return and visit to these locales that make such a lasting impression on our memories and sensibilities. He succeeds unequivocally in capturing the “essence of place” in each of these engaging atmospheric paintings, with sepia light aglow on the waters and in the sky, the familiar trees in stately importance, the grasses and waters lighted by the high blue sky showing in the distance.  These are, of course, squarely in the tradition of American, and in particular, California landscape painting, with intimate and familiar views of local landscapes, not necessarily famous and monumental, but regional and domestic, like Albert Bierstadt’s California Spring (1875) and his elegant and serene views of Yosemite, which do not glorify and idealize these natural beauties, but keep them accessible on an intimate human scale. McCormick’s technique and palette are also similar to some of Constable’s more atmospheric works, like his famous A Hayfield Near East Bergholt at Sunset (1812).

Mullen’s brightly colored pastel drawings of neat, clean-lined rural farm buildings—barns, sheds, and silos—are also  variations on a theme, but the changes in color and the different effects created by brilliant color combinations on the unusual architectural shapes actually produce an endless variety of interest in the patterns and pleasures of seeing. The four pastel drawings of the same rural structure from her Montalpruno series are beautifully rendered color experimentations, whereby the same building in each drawing experiences a mood change and altered state by the different colors applied to the planes, surfaces and lines of the structure. The possibilities are nearly endless, but Mullen does not wear out her theme or viewer interest by overstatement. She aptly controls the process by the simplicity of her objects and balance of pure color shapes.  In this regard, another work in this show deserves attention: Jan Gauthier’s beautifully composed portrait of another rural barn, Barn 1 (2010), a gelatin print with oil based pigment that is a rich chocolate color. 

For more information:Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery

49 Geary Street #520

San Francisco, CA 94108

415.981.1080

February 3 – 27, 2010

http://www.examiner.com/x-15746-SF-Art-Books-Examiner~y2010m2d23-Small-Treasures-at-Elins-EaglesSmith-Gallery-San-Francisco

Artist Studios featured in "The Studio Book"

Who wouldn't want a studio in the sun and by the sea? For those of us who have always dreamed of having a wonderful studio space, this book is a treasure of eclectic studios informed by the spirit, energy, and creativity of their owners. Featured here are thirty-six historical and contemporary studios that have emerged from a unique studio tradition. Ranging from serene, contemplative spaces to busy workshops, all provide inspiration and ideas for creative work spaces. Many of the studios shown have been designed by great architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Charles and Ray Eames, Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, and A. Quincy Jones; and John McCormick, while we are not all able to call on the talents of such luminaries in the design of our own personal spaces, we are sure to benefit from the wonderfully creative studios here on display.

The book is  photographed by Melba Levick and written by Kathleen Riquelme. It is available on Amazon.

Bolinas Museum Mini Show

Teddy Roosevelt, Tree Hugger

FDR, Tree Hugger

Blue Sunset (sold)

Mid-Day  (sold)

These four paintings will be in the annual Bolinas Museum Mini Show.  This is the 21st year the museum has had this show, and this year over 85 artists created small works for the show.  This is a wonderful Holiday benefit for the museum as fifty  percent of all sales go to the museums'  general fund.  There will be artists' reception on Saturday, November 21st from 3-5pm.  For more information call the museum at 415-868-0330

 Each of the above paintings measures 6x6 inches.  Along with two of my landscapes, I've included two portraits from my "Tree Hugger" series.  The idea behind these paintings is to highlight  and bring attention to those individuals who have been important in shaping our national consciousness with regard to the natural environment.

In this day of polarized political thought, too many people see the environmentalist movement as a recent development that began on the first earth day in 1970.  Of course this event helped to calvenize people around ideas and concerns we all share regarding the health of the planet, but concern for the environment has long been part of our national character.  The writings of Jefferson, Thoreau  and Emerson shaped our thinking early on, and the development of our National Parks was part of an idea that continues to inspire and grow today in communities across the country.

The portrait of Teddy Roosevelt celebrates the President and the man who gave a big boost to the development of our National Park system.  The portrait of FDR highlights the effort this President put forward in rebuilding the National Parks (Civilian Conservation Corps) and advancing new thought regarding land use.

 I will continue to post new portraits has I finish them so stay tuned.

November 16th, 2009

New Book on Landscape Painting

Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice

 by Mitchell Albala

I am happy to announce the publication of Mitchell Albalas' new book, "Landscape Painting, Essential Concepts and Techniques."   Mitchell is a Seattle based artist and educator whose artwork can be seen at the Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle.  My paintings are represented by Lisa Harris as well and Mitchell asked me if he could use one of my paintings in the section of the book that deals with composition.  The book is instructional  for all levels from beginning to advanced students  and has beautiful color reproductions.

The book can be ordered on Amazon