“While I paint many different kinds of subjects, the landscape is my first and greatest love”.

Mark Boedges

While I paint many different kinds of subjects, the landscape is my first and greatest love. Like many artists, I strive to achieve a painterly realism in my work.  I do this for a few reasons.  As students we are taught to focus on what is essential in our subject; but this can be a subjective judgment.  For me, what is essential about nature is its complexity.  Everywhere I look I see the grittiness, cragginess and fine-grained texture of the natural world.  It is this essential ruggedness and complexity that I try to capture in paint. Experience has taught me that two aspects more than any other are crucial in this endeavor. The first is using multiple layers of paint, abstractly and randomly applied, to suggest the depth of nature's complexity, since I could never render this literally or convincingly. And the second is to focus on, and really capture, the ambient light, as this is the source of all the subtle and remarkably beautiful shifts in color and value that give reality its presence and liveliness.

SELECTED AWARDS

  • 2018 ARC Realism Award - OPA National Exhibition

  • 2015 Artists' Choice - Easton Plein Air

  • 2015 Best in Show - Wayne Plein Air

  • 2015 2nd Place Overall - Plein Air Salon

  • 2014 Best In Show - American Impressionist Society

  • 2014 Artists' Choice - Door County Plein Air

  • 2014 Best in Show - Wayne Plein Air

  • 2013 Best in Show - Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art

  • 2013 Best in Show - Vermont Plein Air

  • 2013 Artists' Choice - Vermont Plein Air

  • 2013 Best in Show - Door County Plein Air

  • 2013 Artists' Choice - Door County Plein Air

  • 2011 Joseph Hartley Memorial Award - Salmagundi Club

SELECTED ARTICLES

  • 2021 Feature Article - Pratique des Arts - Issue #161

  • 2019 Feature Article - June Issue - Local Life

  • 2018 Feature Article - June Issue - Western Art & Architecture

  • 2017 Feature Article - August Issue - Southwest Art

  • 2015 Feature Article - April Issue - Southwest Art

  • 2014 Feature Article - Nov/Dec Issue - Art of the West

  • 2013 Featured Artist - Oct/Nov Plein Air Magazine

  • 2012 Feature Article - Oct/Nov. issue International Artist Magazine

  • 2010 Grand Prize - Feb/March issue International Artist Magazine