Mark Perkins has spent 30 years saturated in the environment of Art and naturally has been influenced by a great many people, paintings, illustrations, buildings and objects. Like any artist his own work reflects his own likes and dislikes, together with the principles in which he believes. he believes his preferences are wide and range from the Pre-Raphaelite painters to Salvador Dali; and from French Impressionists to contemporary illustrators. Amongst his most natural inspirations have been M.C.Escher, Georgia O’Keefe and Lesley Anne Ivory. It is to Lesley Anne Ivory that he owes his greatest debt, through their friendship he learned much of what he practices today; her faultless attention to detail, her thoroughness in researching her subject, and her mastery of her materials have all informed on his own work.

Of course it is not only the artists who have their influence. He also relates to the cats with whom he shares his home and life. 20 adult cats share his life with he and his wife, Avril. They range from farm moggies to Pedigree Burmillas which they breed. (Follow the link for more about these). His interest in the life and art of the Ancient Egyptians have had a profound effect upon his work and thinking. He spends time in philospohical thought related to human mortality, taken from a scientific and even mathematical perspective. These have a bearing upon our religions and hence upon our creative output.

Mark is a lover of wonderful paintings of many kinds, but has an engagement with both decorative and highly illustrative work. The sky has a particular fascination; so too water effects. the link with decorative themes is quite apparent in the textures he uses in many of his works.

He finds much inspiration in the world around him, hedgerows and trees provide excellent subjects for photographic work and further developed study. Again, it is the mood which is important to the artist, to capture a moment of pleasure or pain. mark recalls these tree trunks from a lonely spot deep in the Welsh countryside, far from any habitation.

‘Artists must fall in love with their surroundings, feel passionate about the subjects with which they work; it is not enough just to think something makes a nice picture!’ Mark hopes his work is more than just a representation of something we can see with our own eyes.