MARK WAS BORN IN THE SIXTIES.HE STARTED TO PAINT WITH OILS ON CANVAS IN HIS EARLY TEENS AND WON A PRIZE IN THE TEXACO NATIONAL CHILDRENS ART COMPETITION.

AS A YOUNG ADULT MARK FUNDED A TRIP TO AMERICA BY SELLING HIS PAINTINGS WHICH WERE MAINLY LAND AND SEASCAPES.

AFTER RETURNING FROM THE STATES HE STUDIED ART FULL TIME IN THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN IN DUBLIN FOR FOUR YEARS.MARK STUDIED UNDER ‘CHARLIE BRADY’ FOR HIS FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE AND WAS HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR HIS UNUSAL APPROACH TO THE CANVAS.

“WHEN I START A PAINTING, I LIKE THE SUBJECT OR OBJECT TO BE LARGE AND MAKING A STATEMENT.

I LIKE TO BUILD UP LAYERS OF PAINT SOME TIMES MIXING COLOURS ON THE CANVAS AND OTHER TIMES ON THE LEFT OVER FLOOR TILES THAT I USE AS MY PALETTE.

I LIKE TO KEEP THE STROKES AND MOVEMENT OF THE KNIFE SHORT AND SIMPLE. ONE MUST TRY AND NOT OVER WORK THE PAINT.

I AM GREATLY INSPIRED BY THE WEST OF IRELAND IN PARTICULAR THE BURREN, the surrounding sea and its skies. One could paint the Burren for a life time and never paint the same subject twice”.

Mark’s work evolves with life’s experiences. His paintings reflect this along with the versatility he acquired over the last few years. The images he depicts are bold with strong colours applied in swathes to the canvas with a palette knife. He uses the knife and canvas to communicate his ideas boldly with the great capacity art provides.

Art is about expressing oneself, it is about revealing a vision or a concept, and it is about celebrating life through beauty, nature and human emotions. No artist’s style stands still. The Landscape dominates Marks paintings, the mountains, the sea, and the sky under the magical light of the west of Ireland.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2007 ‘UNDER THE KNIFE’ GEORGIAN HOUSE, LIMERICK

2008 ‘LIFE IS LOCAL’ MURPHYSTORE, KINVARA, CO. GALWAY

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2008 ‘GALWAY FLAVOURS’ BOLD ART GALLERY, GALWAY

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

THE WHITE HOUSE (WASHINGTON)

AN TAOISEACH

MINISTER OF DEFENCE