When Mark Blackbourn says his work is hard to categorize, he really means it. Although primarily an acrylic painter, he dabbles in four artistic styles and continually tries to break the trends he notices developing in his artwork.
“I’m influenced by the impressionist painters most and love the work of Paul Cezanne in particular,” Mark says. “I create detailed accurate portraits, but also messy abstractions. I’m hoping one day I can work out how to categorize myself because every time someone asks me ‘What do you paint?’ I fall apart in a mumbling mess.”
Weeping Jalaxism, below, is just one of Mark’s beautiful abstract paintings, featuring a fusion of vivid colors and watery shapes which bring to mind vibrant underwater coral teeming with life.
The visual appearance of bursting bubbles and flowing, iridescent paint seen throughout this painting were created in part by Mark’s unique medium—liquid detergent mixed with sunflower oil.
This next piece entitled South Downs Cows, is a bit more traditional, with a pastoral setting and several bovine subjects quietly grazing away the day.
Traditional though it may be, I love the atmosphere seen in the air—slightly hazy as the moisture and heat rise off the ground—as well as the dark silhouettes of the cows standing out stark and strong against the distant hills.
And even the green grass has personality, with multi-colored patches and hillocks dotting the foreground, just to make sure that your eyes are never bored.
Last but not least, take a look at this floral sculpture, one of Mark’s more “outside the box” projects.
Made of cardstock, acrylic paint, glue, and dirt, this bright orange flower feels both modern and classic, blending traditional colors with non-traditional materials. It’s a fitting companion piece to Mark’s intricately crafted corrugated cardboard seashell, which can be found here.
If you have a few minutes today, I highly recommend visiting Mark’s website to browse through the rest of his unique and incredibly diverse creations.