As an artist, Mark Carson English doesn’t like to confine himself to one style, mood or medium. Instead, he embraces whatever inspiration strikes him, using acrylic, oil and enamel and often incorporating elements of decoupage, metal sculpture and found objects, such as glass and ceramics, as a conduit for his creativity. Regardless of medium, English’s work conveys incredible energy.
While he has been artistic since childhood, English admits that it took time before he learned to harness his talent and listen to the stirrings of his creativity. “I was born as an artist, but it wasn’t until I was in my late teens that I realized the blessing it is to be able to create as an artist,” he says.
English sold his first painting as a teenager. Over the last 44 years he has been wielding a brush, he has sold more than 13,000 paintings, without ever having had formal training. “Personally, I enjoy painting the way I paint,” he says. “I would have preferred skateboarding over going to school back in the day, and that extends to formal training as an artist. I would have loved hanging out with Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Van Gogh and Amedeo Modigliani. We could have had a party. I love the influence of all these artists, but I want art to come naturally and want it to come from the soul, rather than being the result of study and strict training.”
Though he tends toward contemporary and abstract styles, English also paints French expressionist and contemporary pop works, as well as representational subjects. “I explore a wide range, depending on my mood,” he explains. “God has blessed me with the ability to tap into various aspects of my personality through my art, and I allow my mood to dictate when I pick up a brush and what I am going to paint at that moment. As far as the subjects that I paint, I really enjoy figurative painting of people, as well as animals, cityscapes, pop icons, landscapes and contemporary abstracts the most. Whatever I’m painting, I want people to experience positive energy when viewing or collecting the piece.”
Over the last four-plus decades that he has been painting, English has gained a loyal following with collectors across the United States and works with galleries all over the nation, in addition to having relationships with numerous designers, art consultants, art dealers and architectural firms.
