We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mark Brockman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mark below.

Mark, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

The truth is it is very difficult to make a living as a fine artist unless you have a strong business side, which many artists, including myself, do not have. But, and I’m speaking just for myself, it is the creating that is most important, the money has always been secondary. Having said that I do feel I have been very successful in that I have participated in many shows, won awards and have earned the respect of my peers.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started out drawing at about twelve years of age, comic books being my inspiration, but as I grew older I discovered the world of fine art, painting. Being self-taught I relied on those artist I could study from books, magazines and original works, Andrew Wyeth being the strongest influence early on. But there are so many great artists out there that many more inspired me to stretch and explore the various genres. My work has grown from realism to Impressionism and now in my later years working in a more expressionistic and abstract manner.

The one constant in my painting has been the subject of the landscape and seascape, nature. Nothing can inspire me to more than the natural world. I strive to create a mood, a feeling. Working in a more expressionistic manner my goal is not to replicate what is before me but rather to put down with whatever medium I am working in, the feeling of the place. I find the more atmospheric the scene before me the better. Truth is I get bored with bright blue, cloudless skies.

Through my long nearly fifty years career I have participated in many shows, juried, one-man and invitational. I have won awards and shown in many galleries. At present I have a drawing hanging in the Arvada Center For The Arts, in their ‘Big Draw Colorado’ show, which ends August 27th, and I have one of my watercolors featured in The Best Of Watercolor ‘Splash 24’ edition which should be available on magazine stands now. I have participated a number of years in the Pastel Society Of Colorado’s national exhibition and was included in the ‘Coors Western Art Show’ in 2018 and 2019.

At seventy years of age I have no intention of retiring from painting, it’s not a job you just walk away from. It really is a way of life. There are struggles, I still wonder sometimes what makes me think I can make something from paint, it can be frustrating, but it is also very rewarding when things go right.

Through this long journey, by side, has been my beautiful wife of fifty years. Kathy has supported my artistic career, and put up with the frustrations with encouragement., there could be no better partner.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best thing society can do to support artists is the purchase their work. Most create without any or little recognition. In this day and age of the Internet and streaming I see original art falling to the wayside, but it is the arts that are one of the greatest indication of the worth of a culture.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to first create for myself, if others can get something from my work that’s wonderful. I hope that those who do take the time to look at what I have done are moved in some way.

Contact Info:

• Website: markbrockman.com
• Instagram: mark.brockman