David McCosh: Learning to Paint is Learning to See

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene, [Published 2016]. Softcover, 80 pages ; 28 cm. Illustrated throughout in color with reproductions of paintings, drawings, and watercolors by David McCosh. This exhibition catalog chronicles a decade of shows dedicated to the life and work of American painter David McCosh. Curated and introduced by Roger Saydack, with contributions by Jill Hartz and Danielle Knapp, the book explores McCosh’s artistic philosophy, especially his emphasis on observation as the foundation of creativity. Includes detailed exhibition summaries from 2005 to 2014 and contextual essays on McCosh's pedagogy and his wife Anne Kutka McCosh. David McCosh (1903 - 1981) was an influential American painter and educator associated with Pacific Northwest modernism. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and later taught at the University of Oregon in Eugene for nearly four decades. Known for his expressive landscapes, portraits, and observational drawings, McCosh emphasized the importance of direct engagement with the visual world, believing that "learning to paint is learning to see." His work bridges regionalism and modernism, and he remains a central figure in Oregon's 20th-century art history.