In 1972 Mark graduated from the University of Michigan School of Architecture and Design with a major in Industrial Design. His career began in transportation and aerospace design with three years teaching design and illustration at the University of Wisconsin – Stout. In 1983 Mark began work in the marine industry and then started his own design consulting firm in 1990. For the past 40 years he has worked primarily in marine design and various products related to that field. Per Mark: "Through out my career, when a client wanted a photo realistic illustration of a product I would produce either a marker and pastel rendering or a gouache watercolor rendering. Watercolor was the medium of choice by most clients. These paintings were of numerous different types of vehicles, aircraft interiors and boats. While working on the designs of all these diverse products I began painting for my own enjoyment. The primary focus of my own paintings through the years had been on botanicals. I enjoy the color, form, shapes and the illusions of depth and space that are different from my consulting work. In the past few years I have begun working more with landscapes and seascapes. I enjoy working with water and the complexities of transparency and reflectivity. Having grown up in Holland I have a strong connection to the water, boats and the sand dunes. We are blessed to have hundreds of acres of unspoiled, natural dune land along the lakeshore. Recently I’ve been painting snow fencing in the dunes that speaks to me of mans futility in trying to control the natural elements." Mark is a signature member of the Michigan Water Color Society.