My journey into abstract art
My journey into abstract art
I love blending structure with flow. I love aesthetics. I love brands that get it. I love traveling. So far, I have been inspired by 20 different countries and express what I saw inside my art. I have been to ancient Rome, modern Tokyo and seemingly went back in time as I traversed deep inside the Ecuadorian rainforest. Simplicity inspires me; from the modern building structure and angles depicting modern man’s version of perfection, to the way nature effortlessly blends the true definition of perfection…imperfection. Those aspects are inspiration to create Subliminal Story Art with deep meaning, similar to the beauty of the depth that lies deep underneath each of our lives.
Early Artist
My Mom is hyper creative and was instrumental in taking me to art classes when I was little. I enjoyed getting ideas in class and experimented with or attempted to duplicate those ideas. My "Gram" used to call me "Marky." Marky LOVED doing anything art related!
Early Entrepreneur Years
I got the early entrepreneur bug. I started up a lawn care business with my neighbor down the street, Jason. We pushed our lawn mowers up and down the streets to get clients. Over the years we grew it to over 30 clients and during the droughts of the summer added in landscaping and and hedge trimming.
Early Career Years
I launched my advertising career within a month of graduating college. I focused on business development for cable advertising stations. What I LOVED most about advertising was the branding aspect. Friends would roll their eyes when I would start dissecting new logos from popular brands. I couldn't get away from talking about all the elements or art: design, aesthetics, colors...I LOVE IT!
Early Coaching & Speaking
After over a decade in advertising, I had a huge shift in perspective after several years of personal coaching. I decided to pursue coaching personally as a career. I launched a coaching business and partnered with a friend to offer Life Balance workshops. I cried on the way there because I was so excited to be doing something with so much meaning and potential impact on others lives. Little did I know the impact it would have on my life. In that workshop, I shared that I loved doing art as a child and a student in class came up to me and asked if I painted. I said "No." She said "You Should." I said "Ok"...and bought the supplies and painted the painting you see below. Note: Our first workshop had a duck walking around the halls so we decided to take a picture with everyone from the class.
Early Painter
This painting was done shortly after my first Life Balance workshop. It was VERY scary to share this painting as I felt so "naked" to share something so vulnerable. I shared it with the person who encouraged me and was VERY encouraging after I shared. Over the next few years I would paint one or two a year.
In 2014, after a few experiments of subliminal layers on a couple paintings, I decided that I would take a coaching homework assignment where he asked me to capture miracles in my life. Over the next year, I captured over 50 "mini miracles" and decided to paint over it further solidifying it. After painting, a friend Ryan came over and said "You painted that? I would buy that!" A fun miracle I captured is $2,000,000 and if you ask I can share what the miracle was and what I think the true meaning is...
Early Quarantine...actually Early Chrysalis
During the quarantine in early March 2020, I bought enough groceries for 6 weeks and made sure I had enough canvases to keep me busy while inside. That year, I ended up painting 26 creations and have my first ever art installation.
Early Artist Interview
I was interviewed about my business, and while I love what I do, I was asked more about my art and grabbed one of the pieces I had just completed “Sunset through the clouds” – Watch the Secret Sauce Society Interview
First Subliminal Story Art Install...and Front Page Press
I took my business development skills on the road, and after my chrysalis of months locked inside, I drove to Flagstaff to hug a tree and came across a wonderful coffee shop called "Late for the Train." While there, I asked if I could share my art. The barista, Ryan, loved my work and suggested I speak with the manager, Aysia. I went up and asked her, and she said, "Yes, I love it. Let's have you install in October!" That installation was featured on the front page of the Arizona Daily Sun and can be found here.
First Bend, OR Installation
After a year of van life, I officially relocated in Bend, OR in March 2022. Shortly after, I showed my art in my favorite coffee shop, Spoken Moto. You can watch the preparation and the experience from the evening here.
First Subliminal Art Experience: Workshop
During 2022, there was enough community interest in a paint workshop where I would teach Subliminal Story Art. I launched this program outside on a beautiful summer evening while my art was on display at Spoken Moto. After doing over 20 events around town, I added in the team building workshop experience.
Next Subliminal Art Experience: The Collective Experience
While looking for conference space to host a client kickoff for my advisory business, called Kindred, I met Sara from the Work-Collective at a beautiful co-working space in NWX in Bend, OR. We met and talked about coordinating a member appreciation event where each person would contribute to a canvas that would be hung, and remains hung in their lobby. Watch the video here.
ABSTRACT ARTIST GENRE: SUBLIMINAL STORY ART
A book for your inner artist
Find a new internal world and in the process you’ll find that in the external world, familiar items will be now seem different. Mark flips the script on the “starving” artist concept. Take a glimpse into the multi-layered process of Mark’s Subliminal Story Art as a way for you to discover your own “inner” artist.
