Mark Wilde
Mark has lived in the UK since leaving the United States, and a career in Graphic Design, in 1990. “I became obsessed with British light,” he says, “ and began painting, inspired by the great British watercolourist: Turner, Whistler, Seago and the American John Singer Sargeant.”
Mark settled in Derby but discovered the North East coast of England early on and started visiting Staithes and Whitby whenever he could to paint from life en plein air. He enjoyed considerable success: his work was warmly received in several galleries, won awards at open exhibitions and was shown at the Mall Galleries in London.
“ I was looking for a new style. There were so many other artists working in traditional watercolours. I wanted something that would stand out from the others.”
Mark began to use drawing pens in combination with his painting techniques with evident success.
”Whitby and Staithes have a wealth of lines to work from- stairways, railings, lampposts, chimney pots. The texture of Arches paper perfectly resembles the white rendering on the walls, and the narrow streets allow interesting shadows to be cast on the white walls. I try to mimic the simplicity by using spontaneous, continuous lines and a minimalist approach. The few colours I use can be seen all around on doors and windows- ultramarine and vermillion, which make a lovely shade for shadows when combined. The ink gives the drawings a quirky look and I sometimes use exaggerated perspective to create a slightly comical feel within a realistic light and atmosphere.”
