An interview with artist Mark Algar
ICYMI at the Wednesday Feb 9 opening session, @SJ revealed the newest painting by @MA:
Awesome Women in Engineering
This story told through a sweeping, mosaic-like oil painting celebrates six Awesome Women in Engineering. These women were selected by Dassault Systemes, sharing their stories with me in one-on-one interviews before I started sketching. Each has a unique journey to tell and energy that ensures the story will continue for some time.
I had the chance to interview Mark and want to share the artist's answers and insights with the community - enjoy the interview!
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Mark Algar, and since retiring from the corporate world in 2017, I’ve followed my passion for oil painting. Lots of courses and lots of creating artwork! I also write short stories of mostly funny experiences I’ve had while traveling the world, illustrating them with my work.
Have you always wanted to be an artist?
Looking back, I think I’ve always been an artist at heart. I very much enjoyed pottery and paper mâché in public school, and I took weaving courses while working on a business transformation in New Zealand. Then, in mid-career, I was transferred to Paris for four years, and my interest in painting, both watercolor and oils, took off. The many museums and great artwork stimulated my creative side when I had time off, and there was lots of time off in France.
Where do you find inspiration to do what you do?
My best inspiration comes when my mind is uncluttered, and I come upon an interesting scene, typically people in everyday activity. Maybe the place is exceptional, and the light is stunning, or both. Many of the scenes I’ve painted or am looking forward to painting are from places I’ve visited on vacation when I am relaxed and can take time to absorb all of what I am seeing. A good example is “Skipping Stones at Kluane Lake.” There is so much beauty around us if we take a deep breath and look.
How do you work?
I have a small studio in my home, and I’ve organized it to get painting or sketching quickly. Being retired means setting my own priorities and schedule around my family responsibilities. I usually focus on art Monday to Friday, including writing my short stories, then back away on the weekends. Occasionally, I’ll sketch or paint when the scene is in front of me, such as the “Full moon at low tide” painting, but I often work from my photos.
What does your art mean to you?
My art is a vehicle to celebrate people’s individuality and activity, captured at the moment. My art tells the story of my life experiences intersecting with theirs. And the open landscapes, sometimes with people, bring to you the magical places I have seen.
Thinking globally, is there one particular piece of art that you say is your personal favorite?
It would be the one that moves the viewer, that holds them for a time, with an emotional response. I’ve been present when some of my paintings achieve this, which is very humbling. But I would have to say that my personal favorite is a painting I haven’t painted yet. It’s in my head, just waiting for the right moment to jump onto a canvas. Maybe I will start sketching it this year.
How did you come to work with Dassault Systèmes?
My last corporate role was head of Engineering Systems at a large global industrial firm. My team was responsible for the software tools used by our 2500 engineers. Early on in my role, I formed relationships with all the software vendors, and there were several who approached me on a different level as a partner instead. Dassault Systèmes was the most effective in focusing on my challenges and proposing solutions rather than looking for the next sale. Several of the people from Dassault Systèmes that I met are still my good friends today. Years after my retirement, still in touch with Dassault Systemes, I thought they could benefit from balancing Engineering and Design with Art. I made an unsolicited proposal and found they had been discussing the same thing internally and were interested in what I had to say. The rest is history.
What was the process for creating your Magic Wheelchair painting?
The team at Dassault Systèmes narrowed down the theme first and we had several discussions on what and who were the most important elements of the painting. I was provided about 1000 photos of all the stages of building and revealing the Magic Wheelchair. I took them with me on vacation - two weeks in a small rural house on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario. Artist Georgia Amar owned it, and she would visit most days to see how my pencil sketches were coming along. The magic was forming a composition that told the end-to-end months-long story from design to build to reveal in one cohesive painting. I removed the front of the 3D Experience Lab to let the sunshine in, forming shadows to create the proper emphasis on the Magic Wheelchair that was bursting forward, and then worked to perfect the colors and characters. The last steps were to let the painting dry, then varnish and frame it, before saying goodbye and sending it to the 3DS show in Nashville in 2020.
Are you doing any other projects in collaboration with 3DS?
I worked on a painting to celebrate The Grand Challenge project in 2021, a sweeping composition of the Milky Way as the setting for the collaboratively designed space station. More recently, Dassault Systemes asked me to complete a painting celebrating Awesome Women in Engineering. It was challenging to recognize six very different women, six different focus points, and six very different settings and blend the story into one painting.
Where can people see your artwork in person or online?
I have shifted to a new gallery with my move to Canada – Bazaar Artisan Market in Belleville, Ontario. This store has only a few of my paintings, but you can see all of my works on my website www.markalgarfinearts.com. Signing up for my newsletter will bring a new painting or sketch to your email box every two weeks.
Thank you, @MA for your time with this interview and for your wonderfully beautiful artwork! We look forward to seeing more great masterpieces over time. Be well, stay healthy, and all the best to you in 2022!
To the readers, be sure to learn more about the people featured in "Awesome Women In Engineering" by clicking this link.
Related Communities and posts:
