When he was a sophomore at LFHS, Mark McMahon flunked art class.

“I sat next to a girl, and I flunked art that quarter. The teacher had enough of me because I just hung out with her all the time,” said McMahon.

Now, he’s an internationally recognized artist, and you can’t walk through the hallways of LFHS without coming across one of McMahon’s paintings – most notably the mural spanning an entire wall of the library. He was even inducted onto the LFHS “Wall of Fame,” which recognizes outstanding alumni.

When McMahon and his daughter Meryl McMahon originally painted the mural, it was located in what was then the cafeteria. Since the mural’s creation, the school has undergone major renovations, which have threatened the standing of the mural. However, the architects kept the mural in mind when remodeling the building, ensuring it would stand in LFHS for many years to come, where it now lives on the library wall.

McMahon was recognized as a “Local Legend,” an award presented by the Lake Forest – Lake Bluff History Center honoring him for “contributing significantly to our community and the world,” according to the center. McMahon’s father, Franklin McMahon – whom McMahon attributes his style to – was also honored with this award.

McMahon is known locally for his paintings and drawings of the surrounding area. McMahon has painted numerous LFHS sports teams, landmarks around town, events such as “Lake Forest Days,” and even everyday events such as the Lake Bluff Farmer’s Market. His paintings are featured in prominent locations around the school, town, and community at large. 

McMahon has been commissioned by the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Bears. His painting of Wrigley Field was the cover of the ballpark scorecard in 1987.

Despite his status as a “Local Legend,” McMahon’s talents span far beyond the city limits of Lake Forest. Throughout his career, McMahon has been trusted by others to tell their stories through art – most notably when NASA asked McMahon to cover the first launch of the Space Shuttle. 

“I got to sit on the work platform with the shuttle, and from there I completed a drawing of the final preparations,” said McMahon.

McMahon painted the final preparations of the shuttle in Florida, and his father Franklin was there to paint the landing of that very same shuttle in California.

The painting – called “Final Preparations” – now hangs at NASA offices in Houston and in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

McMahon is part of NASA’s art program and even founded the Midwest Air Force Art Program. 

“Artists all over the Midwest go out and document the Air Force, so when you go to Air Force bases there are paintings on the walls,” said McMahon.

McMahon knew from a young age that he would create art his entire life. 

“Art is what I was raised to do,” said McMahon. “I come from a family of artists – my father was an artist, my mother was a writer, and it’s just what we always did. I have eight brothers and sisters and five of them make their living in the arts.”

Art has been McMahon’s entire life for as long as he can remember. When he was in high school, during the summers he would tag along with his father and mother, an artist and a writer, respectively, across the country documenting landscapes and events through art.

“When school would let out, we would pile in the old station wagon and travel all summer. We would go on rodeo tours, following a famous calf-roper around the West to all the rodeos. We also traveled to the St. Lawrence Seaway, painting the natural beauty,” said McMahon.

McMahon continues to keep art a family tradition. His wife Carolyn McMahon, daughter Elise McMahon, and son Drew McMahon are artists as well. Between all the artists in the family, the McMahon home is covered nearly wall-to-ceiling in paintings, sculptures, and other artwork. There is even a pottery wheel on their back porch.

“We’re a family of artists… you’ve got a whole group of people who are enthusiastically heading for disaster,” he said, laughing. 

Freshman Ronan Rutledge, McMahon’s grandson, said being in a family with multiple artists is “very nice” because “they encourage you to do creative things and you get to watch and learn from them.” 

McMahon calls himself an “artist reporter.” Rather than reporting on important events through words, he documents them through drawings, paintings, and other mediums. 

One of his most significant reporting moments came when Sports Illustrated asked him to cover the Indy 500. McMahon lived with the pit crew for a week and completed a series of paintings featured in the Sports Illustrated magazine.

Well-known companies continued to recruit McMahon. When Apple Computer opened its first offices in Chicago in the 1980s, they commissioned McMahon for paintings that appear in the boardrooms of cities with branch offices.  

Jim Buckley, a longtime friend of McMahon and former Vice President of Apple Central Operations, turned to McMahon when the company was struggling. At the time, Apple was split into three sections of the country: West, Central, and East – and the Central division was falling behind the others.

Buckley knew he had to do something to unite his workers and motivate them. So, he turned to McMahon.

Buckley asked McMahon to create a piece depicting the Central Operations. Once complete, Buckley distributed these posters to over 600 of his employees, which they hung in their offices and homes. 

This artwork “made people feel like they were a part of something bigger,” said Buckley.

McMahon doesn’t just cover local scenes and national events – he and his wife Carolyn venture around the world, painting whatever he sees fit. McMahon has painted scenes in Africa, Canada, Spain, Cuba, London, and more. While traveling, McMahon sits on a quiet bench nearby and draws whatever he sees. He usually creates three to four elaborate drawings a day and then brings them back to paint in his home studio.

Despite his near-constant pursuit of art, McMahon says he doesn’t outwardly seek inspiration. 

“I notice that artists are wandering around looking for what you would call inspiration, but I’ve never had that problem,” said McMahon. “When I’m done with one painting, I already have an idea for what the next one will be. And the next one. And the next one. I’m in a constant battle between technique, materials, and ideas.”

After years of painting more serious portraits – such as George Floyd’s mural in Minneapolis and covering events for NASA – McMahon has found peace in creating pieces that resemble his backyard garden.

“As I’m getting older, I’m looking for more pleasant afternoons than painting the revolution,” he said, jokingly.

Before COVID, McMahon’s work was displayed in 40 galleries across the country that sold his art. He admits that COVID “changed the game” of selling art, and as a result now has art in galleries in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a few galleries around Lake Forest, and one on the East Coast. However, the majority of his sales are now made online at mcmahongallery.com. (His copyrights are on GettyImages.)

McMahon’s paintbrush has reached places across the world, yet McMahon still keeps coming back to Lake Forest and giving back to the town through his artwork. For example, the LFHS Booster Club – a club sponsoring sports at the high school level – uses his art to fundraise for teams.

Similarly, the Chamber of Commerce in Lake Forest currently has a pop-up shop featuring McMahon’s prints. When a piece is sold, McMahon gets a percentage of the sale, but the remaining percentage goes toward the nineteen non-profit groups, demonstrating how McMahon uses his artwork to give back to the town.

McMahon has made quite a name for himself in Lake Forest and has strong connections with those who live here. McMahon’s high school class was so closely-knit that they still continue to have class reunions. Best of all, McMahon sometimes hosts the reunion cocktail party for the group – numbering almost 150 people.

“When I went to LFHS, I had a great time, I still have a lot of friends from high school… our class got along so well,” said McMahon.

This story was originally published on The Forest Scout on December 11, 2023.