Mark Mckain

Mark has loved and done art all his life. For him it has been a bent as far back

as he could remember. Throughout his elementary and middle school years he

was fortunate to have attended a parochial school in California that had a good

art program. There he was exposed to good drawing technique, projects from

life and the caring guidance he remembers fondly. This initial experience set in

motion a lifetime habit of keeping a sketchbook on hand and constantly drawing

in the moment.

This bent further took shape while serving in the U.S. Air Force. At his first duty

station in Southern California Mark encountered artists who placed their

primary emphasis on the human form as subject matter. For they were classical

realists, dedicated to the study of anatomy and working from life. Their

classical approach rang true with Mark, resulting in portraiture becoming a

natural means of expression. During his various tours of duty, friends ,

associates and fellow workers recognized Mark's talent and respected him as a

serious artist. Special duty assignments such as, small commissions, being

hired to do quick charcoal portraits of people at their birthday parties, special

duty to design a squadron patch or a stint to do an architectural rendering of a

proposed building for the base newspaper regularly came his way.

After completing his military service, Mark attended Lee University in

Cleveland Tennessee as a ministerial student. He received a BA in Biblical

Education. While at college he continued his ongoing training; making

himself visible, as before, got him recognized and used for commissions,

promotional projects and, in particular, the 1981 cover-art for the college

yearbook.

Currently, Mark resides in the Atlanta area of Georgia where he has been

since after his college years. A as juried member of the Portrait Society of

Atlanta, Mark works full time doing portraiture as well as other subject

matter.

 The Test $10,000