ABOUT
“Whilst not wanting to achieve a photographic or super real likeness in my work I have developed a short hand approach to create drawings that for me evoke a memory through both deliberate and spontaneous marks and textures set against plains of colour”
After graduating in the early 80s Marks paintings were picked up by Anna Bornholt a London Bond Street Gallery who sold and commissioned his pieces for a wide number of Interior spaces.
From this beginning Mark has continued to exhibit and carry out commissions, showing in galleries such as The Torrance Gallery, Edinburgh and being selected to exhibit work for the “Small but Mighty “ Exhibition 2023 curated by Johnny Hannah.
BACKGROUND
Studying to Masters level in design Mark developed his personal approach to illustration, pattern making and colour through a training in textiles at Manchester Metropolitan and City of Birmingham Universities.
Since graduating Mark has provided original hand drawn designs for a number of design studios and Interior and fashion textile companies such as Liberty London, Sheridan Australia and Scalamandre USA as well having pieces sold in stores such as Harvey Nichols, House of Frasers, Maceys, Harrods and leading Scottish Borders brand MIGB. Mark has recently completed an illustration commission for Edinburgh organisation “Health in Mind” for their “keep learning” poetry book.
Academically Mark lectured part time into a wide number of Degree programmes across the UK (University of Derby, Ulster University, Northern School of Art) before becoming Programme Director for BA (Hons) Design for Textiles within the School of Textiles at Heriot – Watt University from 2003 – 2021. Whilst currently inputting as a part time tutor into this award winning programme Mark continues his involvement with other Universities and Art Colleges as an External Adviser, External Examiner and Subject Expert. He is currently External Examiner for NCAD (Dublin) and the University of Bolton.
ACADEMIC
Mark has also written and contributed to number of academic research papers and conferences around the practice of drawing and drawing pedagogies in Higher Education.
He has had his work published in the International Journal of Art and Design Education 2019 , Journal of Textile Design, Research and Practice 2018 and Futurescan 4 2019.
He ran a one-week drawing workshop – Drawing from an archive source to create something new at Tsinghua University Beijing 2010.
spotty jug and red anemones print and woven throw and view from the train print