Artist Philosophy
Mark comes to art with a heritage steeped in a tradition of Amish craftsmen and farmers with a strong faith in God. Mark's own faith has been nurtred and matured by the example of his parents and posterity but his very personal faith in Jesus Christ as Creator and Savior of all mankind came when he was 15 years old. Representational art as such was not practiced or even used in the Amish Mennonite tradition. It was not understood, and not overtly encouraged. As Mark's faith has developed, his understanding of true Christian freedom in the arts has also been realized. As God has been creative in all he has created, then we too can be creative as his creatures for his glory. We have been given world of possibliities to do this in all the arts and sciences. Mark's art is an expressing of his gratefulness to God for life in all its varied forms as redeemed by Jesus Christ. Most specifically to Mark, this is brought out in the visual world in form and line, light and color, movement and balance.