Mark de Mos, of Morristown, has been an artist for over 35 years, starting in pen and ink in high school. Best known for his work in watercolor and pastel, he is currently focusing on oil painting. He won the Award of Excellence and the People’s Choice Award, in last year’s Mountain Art Show, Bernardsville.
While Mark has enjoyed the spontaneity of watercolor, and the way he can let the medium do much of the work for him, he is excited by the greater depth, richness of color and atmosphere that can be created in oil. The longer open working time of oils, and the ability to layer, allows him to ‘discover’ the painting in the subject.
For Mark, oil is the ideal medium for working from nature such as in the “Fallen Giants”. These are remnants of a stand of giant hemlock trees that straddle a mountain stream in Montville (NJ). Painting the subtle effects of light, and creating a sense of life, and movement through multiple centers of interest create a dynamic design. His painting, can’t be ‘taken in’ in one glance, there are always new things to find. He has spent much time recently, discovering the infinite possibilities of the natural scenes at Natirar Park and Duke Farms.
In June, Mark participated in an plein air painting event held at Duke Farms (Hillsborough, NJ), co-sponsored by Duke Farms and Studio 7 Art Gallery. A September exhibit at Studio 7, 5 Morristown Road, Bernardsville will feature works from that event. The opening reception will be on Friday, September 7 from 6-9 PM.
Mark had a feature article, “A Light Hand,” in Watercolor Artist magazine. He was included in three North Light books, Splash 8, Splash 9, and Watercolor Secrets: An inside look at the techniques of Award winning Splash Artists. He has won numerous awards in regional and national exhibitions including the Jane Peterson Memorial Award from the Allied Artists of America, and Awards of Merit in watercolor and pastel from the Salmagundi Club (NYC) Non Member shows, plus numerous awards from watercolor societies, art associations, and regional juried shows.
Mark de Mos is a signature member of the prestigious Allied Artists of America (NYC), Hudson Valley Art Association, New Jersey Watercolor Society, and other regional watercolor societies. He is the founding president and a signature member of the Pastel Society of New Jersey. He is represented by Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery in Bernardsville.