Mark Spain

Mark Spain

I have always been interested in art right from an early age. After having attended Art College, I decided I favoured print-making and opened up a print –making studio in Kent, where I spent many years developing my etching and collagraph techniques.

After the storm of October 1997 I was commissioned to produce a limited edition etching of Kew Gardens. Other commissions have included ones for Natwest Bank and The Dorchester Hotel.

My art began with a love of landscape images and I had many etching editions published by CCA Galleries of London. These were successful and spanned many years.

However, as time went on I felt the need to develop other forms of imagery from abstract to figurative. I am constantly experimenting with different subjects and techniques, which I then apply to a variety of images. Although this is new to me I have thoroughly enjoyed and embraced the new challenge. My collagraphs have been exhibited at Mall Galleries, and my abstract oils at the 20^th Century British Art Fair as well as other works being shown at the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Show and the Barbican Contemporary Print Fair. More recently, my figurative works have been published by Washington Green.

My ideas can come from many sources, but are more often than not prompted by music. The majority of ideas develop when I'm working on another painting or in the evening when I'm relaxing. When this happens I do a small thumbnail size sketch so that I don't forget it. Then at a later date I work the sketches up, until I can visualize it as a painting, with the use of models and props. I believe that the mood and feeling within the painting are as important as the composition. This is an area that I enjoy exploring -it's such an exciting challenge to try and capture a moment (good music at this point always helps).