Original Acrylic and Mixed Media
Mark Anthony King is a local Colorado artist who specializes in original acrylic paintings and otherwise mixed media. He has been an artist for as long as he can remember. As a child, he would see drawings and models created by his older brothers and therefore was inspired to follow in their footsteps. His father, a carpenter by trade, would often bring home various scraps of paper, wood, drawing and painting supplies. And likewise, his mother always encouraged the freedom of expression found in this practice. King consequently would spend countless hours exploring the limits of his imagination.
“Some of my youngest recollections are of sneaking into my brothers’ rooms, putting on their records, laying paper and pencil out on the floor and getting lost for hours. Not much has changed. Listening to music and letting it carry me away as a brush dances across a canvas is still a vital part of my creative process.”
King’s original paintings are intuitively formed, mostly acrylic, mostly figurative works of an Expressionistic style. His influences range undoubtedly from the classic works to contemporary. Artists like Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Fritz Scholder and Picasso. As well as artists he has worked for and with like Lance Green and Christian Dore.
How the Artist Found His Medium
King started incorporating unconventional techniques into his photographs. Such as printing on wet papers with conventional inkjet prints, hand painting in details, scratching out others, layering in multiple images and more. His images continued to take on more and more painterly qualities until, eventually, he found himself in front of a blank canvas with brush in hand.
“In the following years, the boundaries between photography and painting continued to blur. I discovered that having the ability, knowledge, and talent to move in, out and in-between these formats kept the creative mind busy, lively and productive. If I hit a wall in one, the other rises to the forefront and the ebb and flow works wonderfully for me.”
“My paintings, my subject matter and at times, my mediums, can be as varied as my emotions… I don’t place limits on my expression any more than I place limits on my feelings.”
Mark’s Thoughts On His Work
“I do try to create something ethereal, almost haunting, with most of my current photographic pieces using existing natural and man-made environments. I like working in themes of ‘forgotten’, ‘abandoned’ and ’emptiness’, allowing the viewer plenty of room to fill in the story with their own circumstances, memories and imagination. My intent is to start them down a path, but then give them the space and permission to add their own commentary; thus allowing the strongest connection between artist and viewer.”
“I paint to find things about myself that I otherwise would not have access to. Things about me, about the world I live in, the relationships we have with each other, the relationships we don’t. I paint to figure out why I felt a certain way about a total stranger, or to find something new in a life-long friend.”
“My paintings, my subject matter and at times, my mediums, can be as varied as my emotions. I paint what I feel. I don’t place limits on my expression any more than I place limits on my feelings. Nor do I expect the viewer to look through a limited scope and determine my intent. What means one thing to me is both capable of, and likely to be, interpreted completely different by you.”
“We all need little reminders from time to time. Reminders for us to harmonize and vibrate on positive frequencies. Perhaps a note to yourself to resonate with those around you; the ones that you influence and affect. A reminder for us not just to live, but also to thrive. It’s my sincere hope that my works will serve as one of your guideposts, as one of those reminders to stay in tune with your world; to be true to your heart and to lead with your spirit.”
Mark Anthony King has sold over 300 pieces throughout the past 13 years. His photography, digital works, original acrylic paintings and mixed media works are in collections all over the globe. “I hope that you may find a piece of two that speaks directly to you.”
Mark Anthony King currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
