As a teenager, Mark made frequent visits to zoos in Maryland and New Jersey to draw their animals. As he grew older, his sketchbook gave way to the fine Belgium linen he exclusively uses. Mark achieves realism working primarily in oil, but also in pencil, acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil.

In more recent years, studying wildlife in its natural habitat has taken Mark to several countries, including Germany, Austria, Costa Rica, Botswana and Zimbabwe. On each trip he takes extensive photos of the native animals to transpose into his remarkably authentic paintings.

Always seeking artistic expression, Mark began carving extraordinarily detailed songbirds and birds of prey in wood. Chosen for its lightweight and ability to hold texture and paint, tupelo allows “super realistic” detail of each bird.