Arches by Brian McCormick

Image size: 21" x 7" Paper size: 21" x 7" Mounted on 24" x 12" foam core. This watercolor was painted on Arches paper by Brian McCormick of Madison, Wisconsin.   Brian McCormick retired from the Wisconsin Historical Society and began creating art full-time in 2008. He had spent his career as a Preservation Architect, though his first love (and his first degree) was fine art. After many years away from it, he started painting again just before he retired and hasn't stopped since.  His works are inspired by nature, particularly of the rolling hills of the Driftless Region. While Brian has always been drawn to watercolor, he recently began making woodblock prints. Using wood scraps, he carves out a design, creating a relief printing block. He then inks the block, press paper against it, and rub the back using a "baren". Brian dreams of having a beautiful Japanese baren but for now, he uses an old wood cabinet knob as his baren. He splits his time between a small house on the isthmus in Ma