We were lucky to catch up with Rich Marks recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rich, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I hope that my legacy will be that I created art from the heart and that I was never a lazy painter, that I always tried to go above and beyond for myself and the client. But more important then that, I want to be remembered for helping and equipping others along the way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a full time muralist currently based out of Michigan.
I originally started out working in a publishing company in Steamboat Springs, CO as a past-up artist designing magazines and brochures. I slowly worked my way up to Creative Director and found my stride. But the company was bought out in 2010 after I had worked there for 19 years. They let everyone go and I was forced to pivot making a living with my fine art. It was a very tough go at first and I struggled to make ends meet. I eventually joined several websites such as Thumbtack.com and Findamuralist.com and started getting more work. These jobs were leading to more mural opportunities and that started to become my bread and butter.
I have been doing full-time mural work now for over ten years and have been extremely blessed to have done work for many high profile companies such as Cabelas, Texas Roadhouse, the NFL, Bass Pro Shops and P.F. Chang’s to name a few. I feel what sets me apart is my ability to merge my graphic design computer skills with my painting skills to create designs and solutions that perfectly fit the clients needs.
I am most proud of the fact that I can paint anything in any style on any surface to make the clients vision a reality. I love making a boring or sterile environment come to life with a dramatic mural design and then watching the clients face light up as they see it for the first time!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
already shared from what I wrote previously
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met my mural partner, Becca Allen on instagram. We had messaged each other about an art post and she said she would be open to doing a collab together. It just so happened that I was looking for an artist to mentor and train to be my mural partner. I also was getting ready to start a big mural project in Ohio so everything kind of fell in place for us to work together. She joined me on that project and we could see right away that our styles and personalities meshed really well. It is extremely hard to find another artist that can match your style let alone get along with. We have to date, now worked on 28 murals and counting! We have become a really efficient, creative, powerhouse team! I am looking forward to all the projects we have on the horizon and where that will take us!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: rich.marks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072293982141
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksrichard/
- Youtube: @richmarks