Since childhood, I’ve been strongly influenced in nearly every aspect of my life by thelandscape that I lived near or spent time in. It has always affected who I am, providingme with both active recreation and solitude for thought, inspiration for my art but mostof all it has enriched my soul. Early in my explorations as a visual thinker, my focus wason the living things in the natural world, primarily birds, and the beauty that I found inthem and their lives. As time has passed, my focus has widened to include theenvironment surrounding them. While I’m not preaching a political position by what Ipaint, I am concerned about its condition, and do want the viewers of my art to see myappreciation for its significance. I am drawn to paint Nature to show my love for thenatural world in all of its splendor, grandeur, and seemingly insignificant quiet places,all essential for our own survival as a species. I hope to express my love for thelandscape to the viewer of my paintings so that they might also see the significance ofit, of that special quality that they may have otherwise overlooked, and realize itsessential value to us all. Having grown up in a military family, Marc’s youth was spent on the move. He wasborn in Oxnard, California and spent some of his early school years there. But hisgeographical resume soon included Alaska, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakotaand Norway. After his father’s retirement from the Air Force, Marc’s family settled in thesmall northern California community of Loomis. Marc began college as a biology major,but soon applied to and was accepted into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena,California, majoring in illustration. After Art Center and a brief stint as a staff illustratorin Sacramento, California, Marc moved to Minnesota where he lived for 33 years whileraising a family and pursuing his art. He currently lives near Savannah, GA on TybeeIsland with his partner and painter, Dottie T. Leatherwood and their two dogs. Marc has shown his work in galleries and museums nationally and internationally sincethe early 1980’s. He is a Master Signature Member of The Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.M.) Other Recent Awards~ OPA National Juried Salon ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2024~ OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Master Signature Award of Excellence 2024~ Acrylic Works 11 ~ Finalist and Honorable Mention Awards 2024~ AIS ~ Award of Merit ~ Associate Member Online Exhibition 2021~ IAPS ~ HK Holbein Award ~ All Member Online Exhibition 2020~ NOAPS ~ Award of Excellence Fall 2020 International Online Exhibition 2020~ OPA Virtual Juried Salon ~ Bronze Medal Master Signature Division 2020~ OPA Virtual International Wet Paint Competition ~ Award of Excellence 2020~OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2019~ OPA Salon Show, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI ~ Bronze Medal MasterSignature Division 2018~ NOAPS Fall 2017 Online International Exhibition ~ Third Place Award~ Best of Show - 2017 ISAP International Society of Acrylic Painters 2nd Annual All-Member Online Exhibition~ OPA Regional Exhibition, Illume Gallery, St George, UT ~ Gold Medal MasterSignature Division 2017~ OPA Regional Exhibition, Anderson Fine Art, St. Simons’ Island, GA ~ Silver MedalMaster Signature Division 2017~Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and FirstPlace 2012, First Place 2013, Third Place 2015~ Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2017 ~Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Jurors Choice Award’ - 2017~ Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2016 ~Oil Painters of America - Master Signature Member Status (OPAM) 2016~Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and FirstPlace 2012, First Place 2013, Third Place 2015~ RMPAP ( Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters) Paint the Park - First Place 2014,RMPAP Rocky Mountain NP Plein Air- Best Body of Work 2014, RMPAP Paint the Park- Best Body of Work and Award of Excellence 2015~ Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - Francesca Kerpel Wenger ‘Best Sense ofPlace’ Award 2015~ PAAC ( Plein Air Artists Colorado)- Third Place 2015Recent Publications-~ Plein Air Magazine - Feature and Cover 2013~ Southwest Art Magazine - Feature and Cover 2012~ Additional articles in the trade magazines where his art has been featured 2011- 2017~ Book - Oil Painting Secrets with the Masters (Auth. Cindy Salaski/PublisherNorthlight Books) 2014~ Art Collector 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011~ The Artist’s Magazine 2005~ Plein Air Magazine Featured 2005, Feature and Cover 2013 ~ The Pastel Journal2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011