Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Harris.
Hi Mark, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a visual artist and graphic designer originally from Chicago, IL. I was drawn to art (pun intended) at a young age. There was a certain amount of encouragement I got from my family and friends along with getting better the more I practiced.
When I was 22 I was still finishing my bachelor’s degree when I met an art dealer at a sports collectibles convention in Chicago who had been selling sports art (painted portraits of sports heroes). After a lengthy conversation with him about the arts and about where I wanted to go in life as an artist he connected me with an industry colleague who owned and operated an art gallery in Beverly Hills. I interned for the gallery that summer and was offered an opportunity to help run the gallery. I performed day-to day tasks managing the gallery by keeping inventory, and setting up art exhibitions in various cities like Beverly Hills, Chicago, New York, Miami, Berlin, and Bangkok. After 4 years, I experienced burnout. My health had deteriorated from the stress (at one point receiving emergency surgery) and decided to take a different direction in my career. I briefly worked in PR, and when I learned that wasn’t the career for me, I decided to take another shot in the art business. I was hired as an art dealer for a gallery in Orange County selling blue chip art. This was a great way for me to jump in learn how to sell fine art, along with learning how to work with different personalities. Selling art is an artform itself and it took time to hone. During this time, I didn’t produce much art as I was concerned with making money and didn’t have a clear voice for my style of art. After over a year working for the gallery, I sought other employment opportunities because I needed the money. I knew that my own art had to take a backseat to survive. To increase my career opportunities, I decided to complete my bachelor’s degree. I worked various high-end retail jobs for the next few years where there was little to no creativity involved, but it was a steady paycheck with flexible hours. During this time, in 2015 my family and I were dealt a huge personal loss when my older sister Rachel passed away at age 35 due to complications from Crohn’s disease (I also suffer from Crohn’s albeit much less severe). The following year was a blur as I stopped taking care of myself because I was so overcome with grief. I stopped exercising, I ate poorly, consumed anything that helped me forget the pain. Fast forward a year, and I visited my parents in Michigan so that I could be with them on the one-year anniversary of my sister’s death. Looking back, it wasn’t the best idea because I became severely ill during my visit. I ended up being hospitalized, and doctors were at a loss for words as they couldn’t pinpoint any cause. I knew it was my body shutting down from the grief. I was in a Michigan hospital, alone, with my mortality in question. I was laying in the hospital bed one evening, staring out the window wondering what I was going to do my life. I needed to take control. And the one thing that I could control was creating art. I needed to transform my grief into something positive. At the very least, I needed to let my feelings out on the canvas. Not to sound too dramatic, but it was either art or death. It was that clear. From that point on, I started to create a series of paintings called “Gone 2 Soon,” featuring deceased artists, icons, musicians that died before their time. It was a dedication to my sister, Rachel. And it helped save my life.
During late 2021 I completed the series and was accepted to a well-known art fair in Santa Monica featuring artists from all over the world. This was a huge opportunity for me to showcase my art using everything I learned from the art business like staging an art exhibition, art marketing, and selling to potential buyers. I created my own website about my artwork and the story behind it to give myself more opportunities to sell my art and share my story. The exhibition wasn’t as successful as I hoped, but it was a huge learning opportunity for me to understand how I could improve as an artist and businessman. I continued creating art, experimenting with new styles, subject matter and media. In 2022 I was hired by Kolibri Art Studio where I have the privilege of continuing the tradition of printmaking for artists and publishers. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had because I’m able to combine my years of experience while I continue learning how to create artwork for others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I can say with confidence that it has not been a smooth road. A big part of my story as an artist has to do with personal loss. When my sister died, it was an emotional and physical beating. Grieving was new to me and I had to deal with a new set of problems. I was so overcome with grief that I let my health deteriorate. It took a year after her death until I was confronted with my own mortality, and only then was I able to understand what I needed to do in order to move forward with my life. When you’re young and you have your whole life ahead of you, you never really think about the bad stuff. I had totally different expectations about the journey and the destination. Challenges and obstacles continue to provide me important insights that help me grow as a human being. The only thing you can do is learn from them and hopefully grow and be a better person. At times it feels like pushing a boulder up a mountain only for the boulder to roll back down again. There will always be challenges. The point is to never let them weigh you down and to look at those obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a fine artist and graphic designer, I specialize in hand-painted and digitally draw portraits using acrylic paints. I’m most proud of my series of portraits called “Gone 2 Soon” which are hand-painted portraits of artists, icons, and celebrities that passed away before their time. This series is dedicated to my deceased older sister, Rachel. I painted the series combining different pop art elements like big blocks of color and solid black lines. The process of starting and finishing each painting evolved into a step-by-step process combining my skills as a graphic designer and fine artist. Each portrait starts out as a digital painting that I create first on the computer. I match the digital image to the size of the canvas. Then I place a grid over the image breaking it up into 8.5 x 11-inch sections. Next, I print a mirror image of each section in black and white. Once each section is printed, I organize the panels face-down onto the canvas, and secure it on with painter’s tape. I’m able to transfer the printer ink from the printed sections onto the canvas by rubbing the back of each section which creates a ghost image of the digital art. Once the image is transferred to the canvas, I begin putting paint to the canvas. I apply several thin layers of each color onto the canvas creating a surface without any hint of a brushstroke. The result is a completely flat surface, as if it had been printed by a computer. I suppose this was a means for me to be in control which was something I had lost for so long. For this series I created a total of 36 paintings over 6 years. The number 36 holds meaning for me because my sister passed away one month prior to her 36th birthday. I realize that there are many artists who use a pop-art style and paint portraits of deceased celebrities, however I think I’m one of a less than handful of people who uses this process with this type of meticulousness.
For the last few years, I have been primarily drawing and painting using the help of a tablet computer. The act of painting is time-consuming and exhausting. So, when I learned how to use drawing software I became more efficient at producing art. I can express ideas quickly and make edits on the fly. I’m also able to create images that are easier to translate to other forms of media like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I still enjoy drawing with pencil and paper. There’s nothing like making art with pen, pencil, and paint.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. Go out and meet people in your industry. It’s not easy to meet people, but it gets easier when you do it more often. You’re more likely to make meaningful connections in person. You might strike up conversation with someone who sees your potential. That’s what happened with me when I was 22. I met an art dealer who spent a lot of time talking with me about the art world. I don’t think that could happen like that online. People can’t see your passion as well as you can express it in person. I understand that social media like Instagram and LinkedIn are great for connecting but you might not get the type of feedback you need. In-person networking gets you instant feedback. People like to talk about themselves, especially if they know they can impart knowledge on someone new to the game. I’ve had to rely on my experiences, good or bad, from different people to succeed. The reality is you might not find a mentor. Don’t be disappointed if that happens. You just need to become your own mentor from your own experiences. Take what you can get and make things happen for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stellarmarkstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbenharris/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbenharris/
