Visual Art – Calgary
Mark plays hard at sketching his future and sharing with others on how to do the same through his skills in drawing in pencil and with stylus. Have stylus. Will travel.
Mark's creative influences are Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Alex Ross, & Kevin MacGuire for the way each of them establish mood, their use of lighting, models, and how they composed their works. He discovered many of these artists and their amazing skills while earning two bachelor degrees in Landscape Architecture and Architecture at Washington State University. Both degree programs required modelling and design curriculums, which fed Mark's passion for creating environments and the people that inhabit them. This was especially enhanced following his semester in Italy studying all the amazing art and artists there (even though it was for his Landscape Architecture degree).
Before Mark had even completed his degree work at W.S.U. He had already been published once by a young writers magazine, and then on a regular basis as a single panel cartoonist. Cartoons were (and still are) an excellent way to voice an opinion on matters that mean the most to Mark. In his classes he encourages generating cartoons and cartoony characters as a way to get loose and meet up with our inspirational thought.
Mark has recently cited strategies from both Betty Edwards, Drawing On The Right Side Of Your Brain, & Brian Dodson's book, Drawing From Imagination, and used them often. There are really solid steps to take in order to access the body's natural tendancy to express itself artistically. His philosophy is shared by these authors - that every person has the ability to doodle, sketch, draw or paint any time they wish with much success if they have a desire to do so.
Mark is extremely thankful that he has the passion to further improve his skills in his art, and that he has found a niche in art that speaks to him as well as a great many other people. All the characters in Mark's world are those of an alternative Earth. A few things are quite a bit different however. In the way our historic literature teaches us how to be in this world we can appreciate life as we know them in this Universe by exploring the contrast of Mark's could-be Universe where power as we appreciated it now does not exist, and feudal lords rule the lands as far as the eye can see. Where it cannot see - well - that's where the monsters are reborn and thrive. It's a place where our ancient legends and mythologies are alive and well - and they all have a mind of their own! What kind of world would this look like? This is what Mark explores currently.
In addition to Mark's fancies with Fantasy Art he is a professional Caricature artist since 2012. He intends to continue offering his talents in the caricature arts while pursuing a career as a concept & character artist. Of course, should anyone call on his experience as a designer (two bachelors degrees in this field) he would not say no unless terribly booked up. Hmmm. That may become a dilemma as he has become busier in the last year with graphic and concept art commissions!