Stacy Mark
A Question of Balance
by
Georgianna Lane, for Fine Art Registry®
Enter the world of painter Stacy Mark, and discover an organic and textured land, a land where the glowing light behind silhouetted trees heralds an illusive twilight or a dawn rich with possibility, where the swirling golds of an enigmatic sunset shimmer and intrigue.
An artist his entire life, Stacy comes from an artistically and musically talented family. Growing up in Fargo, North Dakota, the atmosphere was one of supportive competition, and Stacy showed great talent as a painter at an early age. He made his first substantial art sale when he was only fifteen, amazing to him, but at the same time a fitting validation of his abilities.
Further developing his skills, he graduated from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Fine Art with a focus in Painting.
Currently living in Flagstaff, Arizona, Stacy feels he has really only matured as an artist in the past eight years, and now regularly sells paintings through his gallery to collectors all over the country.
Masterful Influences
"Impressionism has had a big influence on my current body of work," says Stacy. "I like the idea of breaking the subject matter down into essential components and forcing the viewer to use their imagination to fill in visual gaps. Early on, I was a very 'tight' painter, and when I finished a painting I would look at my mixing pallet and think how lively it was in comparison to the painting itself. That bothered me, so I sought out inspiration from artists that could paint in a way that the viewer knew they were looking at a painting while still creating something masterful. Two of those artists were John Singer Sargent and Lucian Freud. When you look at their work, you know you're looking at a painting, but the subject matter is still captured with great mastery and skill. Both of them are figurative artists unlike me, but I truly admire what they have done."
An Unorthodox Technique Mirroring a Personal Philosophy
Stacy began as an oil painter in his early teens and still loves to paint with oils when he has the opportunity, but with his current approach of layering and eroding paint on hardboard panels, acrylic is the better media for him right now.
"When I paint, I'm concerned first and foremost with creating a beautiful work of art. If I don't accomplish that, then nobody will pay attention to the art or the message. If I succeed in creating a beautiful work of art, then my message will get through to the people who want to look into it further, and those who don't will still see a beautiful painting.
"My current body of work is a commentary about the struggle between maintaining our natural environments and the ever-growing human population that strips them away. As a whole, we need to realize that it is necessary that we find a balance that is good for both humanity and the Earth. Once we lose these natural environments, there's no going back, so the sooner people become aware, the better off future generations will be. This struggle for balance is also mirrored in my personal life, as I have to find a balance between being an artist, business person, and activist.
"My paintings are very textural, as I intentionally build up and erode many layers of paint on top of each other. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, it reflects the erosion of our natural environment, and creates a very organic looking painting. Next, I want to be my own artist, and I don't want to fall in line with traditional methodology, so I let go of doing things ‘the right way’ and I’m finding my own way."
Finding his own way has led Stacy to experiment with and incorporate a variety of unusual tools and techniques that contribute to the unique sense of depth and mystery characteristic of his current work. Multiple layers, textures and subtle changes in shade draw the viewer in to discover the artist's deeper meanings.
"When people think of making a painting, they immediately think of using a brush and canvas. When I paint, the use of brushes is a minimal part of my style. I use palette knives, trowels, spoons, forks, brushes, rags, a hand sander, a dremmel tool, my hands, and anything else that might get the job done. Since I work in multiple layers of paint in a process that vibrates between adding and removing paint, I use whatever tool is apt to work best. Depending on my vision for a particular layer within a painting, I might use my hands to push the paint around, which gives a softer appearance than using a sharp tool or knife. Hands and fingers are really just large scale brushes and bristles. (Warning: I would advise anyone looking to try this should familiarize themselves with the toxicity of paint before they begin).
"By the time I finish a painting, it usually has at least 20 to 50 layers of paint, some heavy for definition, and some thin for depth. Some of the layers are left to stack up on each other, while others are meant to be removed leaving only traces of their existence. This process builds up incredible visual depth and intentionally mimics the effects of erosion on land."
A More Professional Approach with Fine Art Registry®
Stacy discovered Fine Art Registry when he did a Google search for a place to register his artwork. He began tagging and registering his pieces with FAR® in January of 2007 and to date has more than 50 paintings in his Fine Art Registry portfolio.
After photographing each one for his own records, he tags and registers it on the FAR website within a week of completion and finds this has multiple advantages.
"For me, keeping track of everything before FAR was tedious. Now it is much simpler and more professional. I like the fact that there will be a record of everything in one easy to find location for both me and my collectors. I'd like to see the FAR process become an official standard for artists.
"Also, I believe that registering and tagging a piece of art does help with sales. It's comforting to a collector to know that there will be a permanent record of the art and its ownership. It also shows the collector that you are willing to go the extra mile and that level of professionalism pays off."
Given the many benefits of the FAR system, Stacy says he will definitely continue tagging and registering each piece as it is finished.
Balancing the Business of Art
Stacy tackles the marketing and sales of his work with the same intensity and dedication he employs in creating it.
"I market myself to galleries by sending a printed booklet with my resume and examples of my work. This booklet mentions my website and portfolio on the Fine Art Registry® website. I also give a booklet out with each painting that I sell as a "coffee table" book for my collectors.
"But, I personally think the best marketing advice for an artist is to get people to see your work in person. Whether it is in a gallery or coffee shop, people should see your work live for the most powerful impact. Once a person knows what your art looks like live, they're much more likely to make a purchase than without seeing it in person first.
"My wife and I own a small gallery in Flagstaff, Arizona, called Arizona Handmade Gallery which shows handmade goods from local artists. We currently have approximately 50 artists in our space who show a wide variety of work ranging from low to high end. Our website is www.azhandmade.com and we are always willing to review artists' work as long as they reside in Arizona. My painting studio is in the back half of the gallery space, so I can get a lot of painting done while I'm gallery sitting."
Future Plans
Says Stacy, "My work has been well received so far and I've been getting more recognition, so I feel good about my future. I'm currently searching for a couple more galleries to represent me.
"I've heard artists talk about galleries needing such big commissions. I've been on both sides of the fence, as an artist, and for the past two years as a gallery owner, and I can tell you that running a gallery isn't as easy or as profitable as you might think. I'm more than happy to let someone else handle sales and give them a good commission for doing it.
"Aside from that, I plan on doing more shows than I have in the past. Artistically speaking, I want to add some larger scale paintings to my repertoire, as the largest I currently do is around 4' x 4' which seems small to me.""
We look forward to sharing much more of Stacy's work. See his Fine Art Registry gallery here.
— by Georgianna Lane
|
December 1, 2008
|
Print Version - 
PDF
Discuss on FAR® Forum
|
Print
|
The views and opinions of individual authors/contributors expressed on the FAR® web site do not necessarily state or reflect those views and/or opinions of Fine Art Registry® or its agents or subsidiaries.
View all Articles
