Mark A. & Cheryl Chapman

About The Artist:

Hello Art Lovers! I was raised on a farm in Kansas where I lived the life of Huckleberry Finn by the Republican River. Athletics and fishing were my passions until I went to Kansas State University and the University of Texas to get degrees in History and Law.

After graduation, Uncle Sam beckoned and I answered the call as an ROTC officer. Luckily, I never had a shot fired at me in anger. After my discharge, I hurried to Houston, Texas to seek my fortune in real estate. After middling success, I jumped into the oil business with handsome results. Strangely, still no sign of artistic impulse showed up unless doodling counts. All of a sudden the need to sketch revealed itself in church. (Honestly, I was paying attention!)

My inaugural effort in 2001 was to paint the floor in the barn bathroom, hereafter knownas the "can" school of Chapman art. To save my knees and make it easier to move my paintings, I switched from concrete to canvases. I've spent the last few years painting plenty of Caribbean scenes plus many figures and portraits, never forgetting the humorous side. In addition, I began pushing into non-representational and abstract areas. Presently I'm going in every direction with modernism in the lead. Having said that, I still like to take on representational subjects to retain variety and freshness. Each step of my art evolution has been observed and positively commented on by the renowned and gentle artist, Ken Turner. It turns out I started in the "can" by my encouragement came from Ken. Besides being a painter's best friend, I sponsor over one hundred art scholarships at my Alma Mater, Kansas State University. Another gratifying experience was funding the Mark A. Chapman Gallery at KSU. Since 1995. It may sound corny, but I'd like to leave this world in better shape than I found it.

Letter From The Artist:

Mark A. Chapman Self Portrait

To the extent that a visual media can be described in writing, I'd like to describe my approach to painting. In the first few years of my five year career, I painted mostly landscapes, portraits and figures to hone my perspective and rendering skills. Presently, I am concentrating on modern painting take the great leap backwards to become a retro modernist. My semi-representational Quirk "e" art gives a nod to Picasso and Dali. In my non-representational efforts there may be a hint of Miro, Kandinsky or Calder, but mostly it's just me and my sub conscious - scary!

I try not to get tangled up in the many "-isms", e.g. Cubism, Surrealism, post-modernism,etc. but try to use them as a starting point and then let it unfold. I use strong colors and form to make powerful impressions, leaving subtle to the watercolorists. I'm not saying that I don’t use mixed colors, but I prefer a jolt, like the first cup of coffee. Even though I strive for strong impressions, I also like to raise questions of motive, meaning or create ambiguity of form. I'm usually not interested in dark angst or political issues and will leave that to our wonderful media.

When painting, I like to work fast so that it can be as spontaneous as possible. Acrylic paint aids in this process as its dries quickly. Speed helps me follow my instincts as I have on occasion, seen something developing in my under-painting and just changed direction on a dime. It's fun to let go and allow the creative impulse to trample the rationale. A fellow painter once told me, "You have no boundaries." I hope that's true.

I hope that you enjoy this site filled with my Quirk "e" art...

  ~  MAC

The side menu will help you enjoy Mark A. Chapman's work from the Quirk-e, Caliente, Kaleidoscope, Femme, and Distraction Art Series. Please fill free to contact Mark through The Muir Fine Art Gallery with any questions or comments.

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