MARK SPAIN
With every painting I find myself completely absorbed in my work. I love the challenge and excitement of starting a new piece, trying to capture the grace, balance and beauty of the female form which has always inspired me.
ORIGINAL PAINTINGS
Mark works almost exclusively in oils, a medium which was introduced to him by hi hen he was a child of 7. He often painted alongside his father (who is himself a highly accomplished artist) and consequently has always felt at home with the techniques and particular characteristics of oil painting. Despite my familiarity with the medium I still find myself constantly amazed at the different texture and effects that can appear within my work. The possibilities are wide ranging from swift and energetic brush strokes with thin paint to building up thick layers of impasto with a pallet knife, then smearing and scratching through the different colours to create textural variety. I sometimes feel there is an element of the abstract within some of my figurative paintings as the temptation can be to really let go and allow the paint free rein on the canvas. I often paint to music and find that on occasions this can release an artistic surge, a sort of in the zone feeling. Mark has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the art world, but his style and oeuvre have undergone a fascinating transformation over this time. During his art college training he developed a love of print making and spent the first 10 years of his career creating hand pulled etchings and collagraphs which were published by a London based publishing house that also had galleries in New York and Tokyo. His work was sold all over the world and exhibited as part of the 20th Century British Art Fair, Barbican Contemporary art fair and galleries in Japan, Korea and Australia. By the late 1990s Mark was working in oil on canvas and pursuing his love of the figurative. After many years of etching he found the use of oil paint liberating, and his work seemed to have been set free, allowing him to communicate directly with the canvas in a way that felt entirely natural. Again he moved into the world of published art and became one of the most highlyacclaimed and collected artists in the country winning a major award in 2008. Dancing in the Dark Original Painting on Stretched Canvas, 32 X 32, Framed: 6,000
Rose Silk Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 32 Framed: 4,950
Flamenco Passion I Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 32 X 32 Framed: 6,000
Champagne Picnic Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 20 X 20 Framed: 2,600
The Ballroom I Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 20 X 24 Framed: 3,375
Black Silk Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 32 X 24 Framed 4,950
White Dress Dance Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 32 X 24 Framed: 4,950
Elegance Spanish Dance Original Study on Stretched Canvas, 20 X 24, Framed: 2,850 Original Painting on Stretched Canvas, 20 X 24, Framed: 3,375
I usually organize shoots with models along with a series of drawings and sketches as I start to visualise the composition. The images are never completely composed as the backgrounds are still very vague, but by this point I usually know how I want the figure to be positioned.
Day at Ascot Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 20 X 24 Framed: 3,375
Dont Stop me Now Varnished Original Painting on Board 28 X 28 Framed: 4,950
White Dance I Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 24 Framed: 3,950
Flamenco Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 20 X 24 Framed: 3,375
Ascot Ladies I Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 20 X 20 Framed: 2,600
I give the canvas a warm brown ground covering, and once I have drawn the outline of the figure I begin to paint the face, first applying light flesh tones. As the portrait develops, heavier shadows and colours are applied gradually drawing the image forward from the brown background.
Low Tide Westminster Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 35 X 24 Framed: 5,500
St Pauls Over the Thames Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 20 Framed: 3,375
Burgundy Recline Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 20 Framed 3,375
Fire Dancer Varnished Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 24 Framed: 3,950
A Conversation Original Painting on Stretched Canvas 24 X 24 Framed: 3,950
Once I am happy with the face, the rest of the figure, along with ideas for settings and colours, begin to develop. These large areas of background, whether a sofa, curtain or wall hanging, have such a large effect on the overall mood and impact of the painting that I may change many times before I am completely happy.
LIMITED EDITIONS During his art college training. Mark developed a love of print making and spent the first 10 years of his career creating hand pulled etchings and collagraphs which were published in London and shown in the UK as well as in New York and Tokyo. His work made a huge impact and after being exhibited as part of the 20th Century British Art Fair and the Barbican Contemporary art fair, it found its way into galleries as far afield as Australia and the Far East. His mesmerising hand finished editions have enhanced his reputation as one of the most highly-acclaimed and collected artists in the country.
Fantasia Embellished Canvas on Board Edition Size 195 24 X 24 Framed: 525
Fiesta Embellished Canvas on Board Edition Size 195 24 X 24 Framed: 525
Bolero Embellished Canvas on Board Edition Size 195 18 X 22 Framed: 450
Caprice Embellished Canvas on Board Edition Size 195 18 X 22 Framed: 450