The greatest goal with my art is to inspire goodness and beauty in the lives of my audience. The focus of my work is to represent, in my own way, the natural world, that which I believe is directly connected with the Source of all true beauty.
I love bold and deliberate brushstrokes, and I am fascinated by the happenstance miracles that can occur with a palette knife. As I am evolving as an artist, I'm continuously moving away from photo-realism and minuscule detail, into allowing the paint to speak for itself, enabling it to be what it is. I don't need to paint every hair, blade of grass, or leaf; each element is only suggested by textural shapes of color and value rather than being clearly defined and photographically reproduced. As I work, I am tireless to ensure that my paintings feel fresh and not over-worked. As I paint more and more animals, this becomes particularly challenging because I have to be true to the anatomy and form of the subject. So, every mark is calculated and carefully placed; just enough to communicate what is necessary.
I honestly believe that there are several lifetimes of learning to be had within the versatilities of oil paint and the exploration of color. I'm thrilled that I may have several decades ahead of me to be taught by this incredible medium.
Mark was born in Logan, UT in 1984 and has lived in the West most of his life. His work is inspired by what he loves, the beauty of the West. He grew up hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, and site seeing, and has personally experienced much of what the West has to offer.
Art has been apart of Mark’s life from very early on, but he started to show real promise as early as 9th grade when he began receiving commissions for his pencil portraits. After high school, he studied art at Brigham Young University – Idaho, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration as well as a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. Mark pursued illustration for a few years and worked with several publishing houses across the US.
Mark taught art at the high school level from 2010 to 2018, and has transitioned out of teaching to be a full-time artist. -- Mark has been fortunate to study under and be personally tutored by some great artists including: Dan Burr, Leon Parson, Gerald Griffin, Jim Wilcox, Grant Redden, and Greg Beecham. -- Subsequently, he has spent thousands of hours at the easel practicing and implementing the techniques and skills gained throughout his education. -- Mark has had his work included in shows across the U.S. & Canada and is currently represented by Astoria Fine Art in Jackson, WY, and Mountain Trails Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM.
2021
• American Miniatures - Settler's West Gallery - Tucson, AZ
• South Eastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) - Charleston, SC (CANCELLED)
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT (CANCELLED)
• Montana Heritage Art Show - March 18 - 20 - Great Falls, MT
• Night of Artists - Briscoe Museum - San Antonio, TX
• Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale - Cody, WY
2020
• South Eastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) - Charleston, SC
• Night of Artists - Briscoe Museum - San Antonio, TX
• American Miniatures - Settler's West Gallery - Tucson, AZ
• The Russell - Saturday Night Auction - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT (cancelled due to Covid-19)
• Quick Draw - Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival
• Small Works Great Wonders - National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, OK
• Brinton Museum's “Brinton 101” - Big Horn, WY
2019
• The Russell - Friday & Saturday Night Auction - C.M. Russell Museum - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT
• National Museum of Wildlife Art's 8th Annual Plein Air Fest - Jackson, WY
• Rock Creek Cattle Company’s Wine, Arts, & Food Festival - Deer Lodge, MT
• Quick Draw - Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival - Jackson, WY
• Miniatures by the Lake - CDA Galleries - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
• Brinton Museum's “Brinton 101” - Big Horn, WY
2018
• The Russell - Saturday Night Auction - C.M. Russell Museum - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT
• National Museum of Wildlife Art's 7th Annual Plein Air Fest - Jackson, WY
• Rock Creek Cattle Company’s Wine, Arts, & Food Festival - Deer Lodge, MT
• Quick Draw - Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival
• Brinton Museum's “Brinton 101” - Big Horn, WY
2017
• The Russell - C.M. Russell Museum - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT
• The Russell - Art in Action – (best price of the event received) - Great Falls, MT
• Feature in Big Sky Journal - Arts Issue 2017
• Rock Creek Cattle Company’s Wine, Arts, & Food Festival - Deer Lodge, MT
• Brinton Museum's “Brinton 101” - Big Horn, WY
2016
• The Russell - C.M. Russell Museum - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT
• National Museum of Wildlife Art's 5th Annual Plein Air Fest - Jackson, WY
• Rock Creek Cattle Company’s Wine, Arts, & Food Festival - Deer Lodge, MT
• Brinton Museum's Annual Small Works Show - Big Horn, WY
• “Dimensions of Nature” - two-man Holiday Show - Brinton Museum, Big Horn, WY
2015
• The Russell - C.M. Russell Museum - Great Falls, MT
• Out West Art Show & Sale - Great Falls, MT
• One Man Show - Washakie Museum - Worland, WY
• Art of the Animal Kingdom XX - Bennington Center for the Arts - Bennington, VT
• Calgary Stampede - Artist Studios - July 2015 - Calgary, AB, Canada
• Brinton Museum's - Small Works Show - Big Horn, WY
2014
• Western Masters Art Show & Sale - Western Heritage Inn - Great Falls, MT
• Southwest Art’s 21-Under-31 Young Artists to Watch - September 2014 Issue
• Brinton Museum's - Small Works Show – Big Horn, WY
