MBL Falmouth Forum: “How to Make a Painting” - Joe McGurl, Artist
Date and Time
Friday Oct 14, 2022
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Friday, October 14, 2022, 7:30 – 8:30pm
Location
The Cornelia Clapp Auditorium
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Fees/Admission
Lectures are free and open to the public. Masks are required. No registration required for in-person attendance. Doors open at 7:00 PM, lectures start at 7:30 PM
Description
Lecture Abstract:
For most artists, creating a work of art is not as simple as Bob Ross makes it appear on TV. In this lecture and demonstration, McGurl will bring attendees along on a time lapsed journey that begins with choosing subject matter and concludes with completed work of art. He will discuss and demonstrate where inspiration comes from, how he tackles the challenge of painting in the field, and how the landscape can be altered to create a more dynamic composition. Moving into the “studio,” there will be a demonstration of the steps and techniques used to bring a painting to fruition. The lecture will also include some art history and his personal philosophy as it relates to the 19th century Luminist painters and philosophers including Fitz Henry Lane, Frederick Church, Sanford Gifford, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Landscape painter Joseph McGurl graduated from Massachusetts College of Art with a dual major in fine art and education. He also studied in England and Italy, and after graduation, spent two years figure drawing under Robert Cormier. McGurl has been designated a Living Master by the Art Renewal Center, is a signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America, an elected member of the Guild of Boston Artists, was a Copley Master with the Copley Society of Boston, and a past fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists. He has won significant awards for his artwork which is in the collection of several prominent museums, is represented by some of America’s most prestigious galleries, has been the subject of numerous book and magazine articles, and conducts workshops and presents lectures throughout the country.
McGurl’s interest in modern physics and the nature of reality combined with the spirituality he finds in nature has resulted in a unique approach to style and subject. He is a devoted plein air painter which allows him to connect with the landscape on a profound level and gain a deep understanding of his subject. Rather than relying on photography, this method gives him the freedom to create paintings based on his imagination, memory, and observation. Although the objects depicted in the paintings are elements of the landscape and have a deep personal meaning to him, of equal importance is an exploration of light, form, space, and color interpreted through paint. The landscape, whether it is the American West, the seacoast, or Europe is a source of endless inspiration and the ideal vehicle to explore his subject.
The Falmouth Forum is supported by the Falmouth Forum Endowment, the Bakalar Endowed Director's Discretionary Fund, and The Falmouth Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation.