Mark Stanford is arguably the Premier Artist of the last few decades. His work is in the movie "Legends of the Highwaymen", and his name is definitely in the credits. He was inspired by and trained by the early Highwaymen. (See his biography at the bottom of this listing). His work is bringing higher and higher prices. Sophisticated buyers are including Stanford paintings in their premier collections.

Country of Origin: U. S. A.

Artist: Mark Stanford.

Medium: Oil Painting (by Palette Knife).

Title: "Coconut Trail"

Size: 16 inches by 12 inches; framed 22 by 18 inches.

Signed: Lower Right.

Condition: Both the painting and the frame are in Very Good to Excellent Condition.

COA: en verso.

****Please note that the physical colors of this item may vary from the pictures in the listing, given the quality of the camera, the lighting and the background used.




BIOGRAPHY:
Mark grew up on the Banana and Indian Rivers on the East Coast of Florida. Whenever he could, Mark would go out in his row boat and explore the estuaries and canals off of the Banana River and later sail his small sailboat around the tip of Dragon Point and across the wide Indian River. He would hunt the backwoods of Florida and cross the old wooden bridges. He did not know it then, but the things he saw as a youth inspired the paintings he would create in his later life.

After graduating high school, Mark went to a trade school to learn to be a goldsmith and returned to Florida where he picked up an apprenticeship with a Master Goldsmith, Robert Dear in Vero Beach, Fl. Mark worked for Robert Dear for over 12 years and learned that he had a gift for designing and hand fabricating fine pieces of jewelry. He could carve all forms of wildlife with ease and enjoyed his creative work.

Mark met the love of his life, and was married. About that same time, Mark became a Christian. He later worked for other Jewelers, but decided to go to college. He felt a need to help people instead of making money. He went to college and graduated Magna Cum Laude and immediately picked up a job with the State of Florida.

It was during that time, about 2004 that Mark started painting to fulfill his creative needs. He painted strictly with a palette knife then. Artists who inspired Mark were AE Backus, Harold Newton, George F. Higgins, Thomas Moran, Herman Herzog and Winslow Homer. Painting came very easy to him as he painted from his memories of Florida as a child before Florida grew up and all the construction and pollution erased the Florida Mark grew up around.

Mark's paintings, many which he did with thick paint and a palette knife, developed a market. Quite by accident, Mark worked out a deal with a very good Florida Artist, Ahmed Eltemtamy to trade one of his own paintings back to him for lessons. Mark learned so much from the first few lessons that Mark kept the lessons going for an entire year; 2011-2012.

Ahmed taught Mark the use of the brush and proper mixing techniques as well as many other skills, and as a result, Mark was then able to paint for a living. He continues to paint not only from his memories, but also plein aire painting of different areas along the South East, such as; South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and plans to paint along the Gulf of Mexico States as well.
(Thanks To AskArt archives).


** Please note that the physical colors of this item may vary from the pictures in the listing, given the quality of the camera and lighting conditions.


Condition:
Imperfections: No Imperfections
Condition Notes: Size: 16 inches by 12 inches; framed 22 by 18 inches.

Signed: Lower Right.

Condition: Both the painting and the frame are in Very Good to Excellent Condition.

COA: en verso.

****Please note that the physical colors of this item may vary from the pictures in the listing, given the quality of the camera, the lighting and the background used.

Origin:
United States

Materials & Techniques:
Canvas, Oil Paint

Details:
Country of Origin: United States
Art Subjects: Landscape, Seascape
What type of item is it? Not Used
Frame Type: Framed

No Imperfections; Size: 16 inches by 12 inches; framed 22 by 18 inches.

Signed: Lower Right.

Condition: Both the painting and the frame are in Very Good to Excellent Condition.

COA: en verso.

****Please note that the physical colors of this item may vary from the pictures in the listing, given the quality of the camera, the lighting and the background used.