Born in 1882 in Philadelphia, Katharine Hood McCormick lived in Germantown.  She studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine art with Henry McCarter and Fred Wagner, then at Drexel Institute, then at the School for Social Research in New York City under Ralph Pearson.  She worked in various mediums including oils, watercolor, pastel and woodcuts.  She was best known for her watercolors and wood block prints.

She was the treasure of the American Color Print Society.  She was a member of the Provincetown Printers wood block society.  She was a frequent visitor to Provincetown, MA and also Martha’s Vineyard.  She corresponded with perhaps the most well known woodblock artist of Provincetown, Blanche Lazell.  Lazell wrote to Katharine McCormick, "I use perfect freedom as to color and values. … I trust to my inspiration at the time I do the print." She continued, "I give myself one week to the making of one print. It is not a paying business as far as price is concerned. I do them because I like to."

McCormick exhibited 25 paintings in the inaugural exhibition of the Philadelphia Ten in 1917.  She exhibited at the National Academy of Design, and Fellowship exhibitions of the PAFA almost annually from 1913 into the 1950’s.  She also exhibited at the Philadelphia Art Alliance; Philadelphia Sketch Club; the Woodmere Art Gallery (PRIZE); the Society of Independent Artists; Salons of America; the Plastic Club; the Philadelphia Print Club; American Color Print Society; the Brooklyn Museum; Temple University; the Free Library of Philadelphia; Meriden Arts & Crafts; New Britain Museum; the Philadelphia Academy of Music.

Her work can be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Atwater Kent Museum, and the Woodmere Art Gallery. A retrospective of her work was show at the Plastic Club in 1960, the year she died.