Artist Study: Mark Demsteader

Mark Demsteader is the candidate for this lovely week, giving us a short and sweet little refresher from previous weeks.Mark has always been an artist and experimented with as many types of media as he could to develop his skills and see what works for his style. He recommends practice to improve skills. He also says to focus on the art style you want to pursue, not to just follow the “trends.” Mark used to be a butcher. Life drawing classes kept his art interests alive during this time until he got fired and didn’t really have anywhere else to turn except for art and he thought ‘I might as well give this a try!’ Throughout the years he has become more focused on what he is doing and somewhat settled into a process that works for him, whereas shen he just started out, he was doing more experimenting. When faced with the question of work habits, he usually works for four hours in the morning, takes a nice little lunch break, and then works for as long as he has to for a project to be completed. He mostly shows his work in exhibits but his website also brings in a lot of buyers. Unlike some other artists i have been graced with, Mark says that he is fairly isolated when it comes to work and only sees other artists at exhibitions. Mark’s final advice is to work hard and stick with what you believe in. “It sounds simple but there are no shortcuts as many students think there are.”

In contrast to my very first artist study, so so long ago, I enjoyed that Mark’s answers were short and to the point. What I was most fascinated with was that Mark’s soul job, before art, was being a butcher. I always had in my head someone waiting tables and coming home to a cramped apartment full of unfinished work, half painted canvases, and paint messily arranged on the side of the counter... but butcher works too. I was also surprised that none of Mark’s work seem to reflect his time as a butcher. As far as I know it would seem to be a very likely thing, and proven to be more realistic than my possible future of trying to live in NYC. I also would’ve like to know how long he worked as a butcher and how it may have affected his life (I know, I’m really obsessed with this bitcher thing! whatever!). Finally, if he had to add one more thing, I REALLY want to know what artists inspire him, what actions he took in and just out of high school that maybe helped him improve and what he uses for inspirations. All the artists that I have seen so far mention that they get inspiration from “everywhere!” which always frustrates me. Somehow, i was more frustrated by Mark’s response: “I don`t think outside influences come into it for me, i tend to be focused on what i do.” That’s all well and good but you have to be inspired by SOMETHING! He may have also just not understood the question, inevitably making me look like a dumbass. That’s cool too.

Moving on from my nosy inquiries, I would give Mark Demsteader four stars. I have always admired the “unfinished” effect. Mark also does a magnificent job at capturing the eerie side of things by using intense shading, and bright focal colors. I really enjoy his (almost foggy) technique in many of his paintings and drawings.