Mark Vass

Biography

Art was my one of my two favorite subjects at school, along with woodwork. Most of the other classes were of little interest, which my final exam results indicated. Following retirement I started drawing and painting once more, following a gap of around 40 or more years, where the only art produced were doodles during boring and non productive progress meetings. Joining a local art class really helped, advice and using materials and techniques that I had never seen or used before such as Acrylic paint, pastels and charcoal. I realize now that "art" at school was mostly just painting and drawing, and I can not really recall being taught anything, though that may have been down to my inability to learn or listen, when I could be drawing. I also play guitar and bass and again have just done my own thing and avoided learning theory. So now at the age of 62 I find myself trying to find my way through the myriad ways of making marks on paper. I have no real idea of how to achieve what i want to see on paper, but surprise myself regularly, though i can always see something I could have done better. So to me, all I do in art is on a continual learning curve, and mistakes and disasters often teach me more than getting it right.