McCarthy is known for his gestural and intuitive artwork. His brightly colored paintings, with loose brushwork, depict figures in action: dancing, surfing, fishing, and skateboarding often against a rainbow-colored background. His ongoing series of ceramic facepots attracted attention with their hand-built immediacy and invested emotionality. McCarthy grew up working on fishing boats near Catalina Island and cites the Pacific Ocean as a lasting influence on his work. The beautifully curated book includes an 8-page gatefold and a French-fold jacket, which opens up to a collectible foldout poster.