MARK ENGLISH
	ABOUT THE ARTIST Hailing from the heartland of the United States, Mark English masterfully captures the very essence of the American landscapes that have been the backdrop of his life over the past six decades. As a child in the 1930's in his native Texas, he worked hard helping his family to earn money. First by picking cotton then later, in what would become a tuning point in his young life, he painted signs for visiting rodeos after a traveling artist introduced him to the craft. His passion for drawing was awakened, and English would follow that path to the University of Texas and the Art Center College in Los Angeles, where he would graduate in 1960. Success came quickly and his talent as an illustrator became legendary. His list of clients grew to include Time, Redbook, The Saturday Evening Post, Sports Illustrated, Hallmark and the U.S. Postal Service, for whom he has executed 13 stamps. His almost mythical status in the field culminated in his election to the Illustrator's Hall of Fame in 1983, joining the ranks of Winslow Homer, Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell, among others. By the late 1980's however, Mark English was dedicating his energies solely to the development of his fine art. He felt free at last to create works that were personal, more impressionistic, sometimes more abstract, but which were still firmly rooted in the representational genre. He went through years of exploration and experimentation to develop his vision, culminating in his recognition as a fine artist equaling his reputation as an illustrator. Mark English's paintings of the American farmland incorporate an aerial perspective creating patchwork patterns of the landscape, reminiscent of finely crafted quilts. Country roads dissect the terrain and stands of majestic trees border fertile pastures. The surfaces of English's paintings are masterful with a depth that reflects light as if clouds were passing overhead. His palette is a lush array of earthtones blending sky into land and land into bountiful harvest. Coinciding with this exhibition of new paintings is the publication of a beautifully illustrated book on the life and works of this remarkable talent.
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