$1,200.00
b.1949
Mark Behmer is an artist and fisherman from Northeastern Michigan, specializing in original oil paintings of the outdoor sporting experience and wildlife.
Mark started drawing at a young age. He grew up in Detroit, MI and after graduating from high school in the late 60’s he enrolled in a commercial art program at Oakland Community College. After a semester in taking the core design classes he became increasingly interested in the painting, drawing and fine art classes he needed to take. He transferred to Northern Michigan University as a fine art major for a year, transferred again to the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts & Crafts (Now the College for Creative Studies, CCS) in Detroit.
In 1972 Mark moved to Chicago and in 1975 graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BA in art education. Even at that time art was beginning to be cut from school programs, so after spending 2 years substitute teaching and trying to find a job he went into commercial art and became an illustrator/graphic designer. He built his own freelance business and worked successfully for years, but always felt that painting and fine art was where he really belonged.
He was Honorable Mention Award Winner in the 2009 and 2019 Juried Art Exhibition at the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan in Alpena, MI.
In 2021 His painting “Flyfishing the Lewis River – Yellowstone” won Second Place at the Mountain View Americana Art Show in Easley, S.C. The head juror was Seth Hopkins, the Director of the Booth Museum of Western Art located in Cartersville, GA.
Also in 2021 Mark was juried into the 26th Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival, a national show held in Thomasville, Georgia every year. He sold paintings in this show and was invited back for 2022.
His work has appeared on the cover of and in Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Michigan Trout Unlimited Magazine. His work was also in The Upland Almanac’s “In The Uplands” Bird Hunting Calendar for 2021.
Having grown up in Michigan the love for the outdoors came natural to Mark. As a dedicated conservationist and avid fisherman and sportsman he merges his passion for the outdoors into every facet his art. He is a member of local chapters of Trout Unlimited, and has been commissioned to paint portraits for Pheasants Forever chapter fundraising auctions. In addition he has contributed limited edition framed prints to DU and TU fundraiser auctions.
Mark Behmer Painting, Oil on Linen 9 X 12 (Interest categories: Oil on Linen, Fish, Fishing, Painting, Wildlife Art, Fine Art, Art Gallery, Mark Behmer Artist)
1. Clay – Chavant Le Beau Touche. Get the regular clay, not HM (high melt).
2. Clay warming devices, a metal bucket with a clamp on heat lamp or 100 W bulb works great.
3. Tie wire.
4. Aluminum foil.
5. Scissors.
6. Favorite sculpture tools.
7. Plank of wood (pine) approximately 8″ x 8″ x 2″.
Bring as many planks as you wish…the wood is used as the base for your sculpture.
8. Plumber’s pipe, 1/2″ threaded: Bring several different lengths…up to 10″…not PVC pipe.
Plumber’s pipe T joint.
Plumber’s pipe couplers.
Plumber’s pipe flange.
9. Screws and screwdriver to secure the flange to wood…this may be done before you arrive. (Place flange in the center of plank)
10. Wire cutters
11. Needle nose pliers
12. Rubber mallet.
13. Spatula
14. Measuring devices such as rulers, measuring tape, dividers, and calipers.
15. Because we concentrate on BIRDS IN FLIGHT, live models in the classroom are more distracting than useful. I will demonstrate the technique of constructing a cantilevered bird armature that can be used for many different bird species and will show you how to assemble shapes to capture the “gist” of the specific bird.
16. Bird field guides such as Peterson, Stokes, Golden, or Sibley. Sibley’s Guide to Birds (not Sibley’s Guide to Bird Life and Behavior) is best if bringing only one field guide. This popular book can usually be purchased at any bookstore.
17. Bring your laptop to the class if possible.
18. Bring your sketchbook.
1 Lake Circle Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
broadmoorgalleries.com
