Mark Mehaffey

Mark Mehaffey is a well known Michigan painter working in many styles.  He has won major awards in juried exhibitions across the country. You will find this artist’s paintings included in corporate, public and private collections. Most noteworthy, Mark was a committed public school art instructor who believes our art future is with the young and is dedicated to building that vision. He is also a signature member of the American Watercolor Society; Dolphin Fellow, the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America; Signature Life Member – Master Status and Distinguished Master, Watercolor West, the Rocky Mountain Watermedia Society, the Louisiana Watercolor Society; Signature Life Member, the International Society of Experimental Artists, Signature Life Member and the International Society of Acrylic Painters. Mark is a popular juror, workshop instructor, and lecturer around the country and is listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and “Who’s Who in America”.

Mark says;

“During the time I have been painting (over fifty years) my interest in the act of painting has never waned. However, the content of my work and my technical abilities are constantly evolving. This state of change is something that all artists embrace. It is through challenge that growth occurs. To be timid, safe, complacent or overly satisfied does not push the boundaries of creativity.”

“As tangents occur in my life, they also occur in my work. I allow myself the freedom to follow my tangents. I find myself dreaming of mists, clouds, rain and water. My brush seems to take on a life of its own as I express the feeling of a summer storm or fishing in the shallows. In my non-objective work, I work to evoke strong feelings from a viewer by manipulating the elements of composition. Can line, color, shape and value be juxtaposed to have the same emotional impact as a thunderstorm? Art is a communication – a dialogue between artist and viewer. It is my hope to open and maintain that dialog. And I hope the viewer will be as involved as I am.”