Gallery Artist: Mark Kelso
Mark Kelso Biography
Throughout his early years, Mark studied intensively in dance, voice, theatre, the martial arts, and competitive baton twirling. He won over 700 awards for modeling, dance, and baton competitions, including more than thirty world championship titles. From this unusual background Mark chose the visual arts for his career. He majored in painting at John Herron School of Art in the United States and began doing social, philosophical, and environmentally oriented work in his senior year. This nature/civilization content in his work was translated to wildlife and landscape subjects the following year, and has remained his primary subject matter since 1993.
Mark’s art has been exhibited and sold through museums and galleries around the world. His paintings have sold through Christie’s auction house in London, and Bonham’s in Singapore. In the year 2000 he was selected as featured artist for the international “Beauty of Formosa” exhibition with the National Museum of Natural History in Taipei, Taiwan. And in 2002 his art appeared in a special exhibition at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. Mark is an inductee of the internationally acclaimed Society of Animal Artists, and the Artists for Conservation organization, and his work has been seen in numerous magazines including Wildlife Art, US Art, Sporting Classics, and Informart.
Some of Mark’s United States Exhibitions Include:
“Art of the Rainforests” museum tour 2005-2006
San Diego Museum of Natural History Wildlife Art Exhibition 2006
Bennington Center for the Arts international “Art of the Animal Kingdom” Exhibitions
Southeastern Wildlife Expo
Florida Wildlife Art Expo
Waterfowl Festival
Carmel International Art Festival – Best of Show
Germanton Gallery, “Things With Wings” – Featured Artist
Annual Society of Animal Artists Exhibitions and Museum Tours
“Rainforests: The Breath of Amhakia” solo exhibition
“The Nature of Amhakia” solo exhibition
Northern Wildlife Art Expo, Featured Artist
Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show
“Wolves: Intimate and Lighthearted” solo exhibition