About the Artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
I truly feel blessed to be able to express myself through my art and love what I do. I hope to bring an enjoyment to people who view my art and have the ability to bring memories of
the outdoors into their view. It may be a memory of a cherished old friend and hunting dog,
or a fishing experience, or the great outdoors, or just a pleasant landscape with a touch of the call of the wild. I also enjoy painting fish and wildlife.
The experience on each fishing or hunting adventure as an outdoorsman is unique and wonderful. Just being out in God’s creation is truly a special thing. It brings me to the center
of who I am both as a person of Faith and as an artist. In most of my work a narrative is present in one form or another to tell a story and to create a peaceful feeling from being out in the field, stream or lake.
I have always enjoyed oil paintings that are beautifully designed and executed. Although subject matter and narrative are very important, the challenge for any painter becomes the task to create a work of art that has harmony, beauty and timelessness in it.
For my sporting dog art and custom dog portraits, capturing the true likeness and character of each dog and owner if so desired is key in my portrait work, whether a gun dog or just a home companion.
I have worked successfully for years in advertising as a freelance graphic designer-illustrator, but always felt that painting and fine art was where I really belong. Some of my influences as an oil painter have been and still remain to be the great artists of the past. Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Carl Rungius, and Philip R. Goodwin. Currant painters like Richard Schmid, C Michael Dudash, Eldridge Hardie, and Luke Frazier have also been a great influence and inspiration to me.
BIOGRAPHY
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 has exhibited in the East Shore Art Guild Gallery in Harrisville, MI and in Mullaly’s 128 Studio & Gallery in Elk Rapids, MI, Art In The Loft Gallery 109 in Alpena, MI, Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery in Alpena, MI, and the Ann Arbor Art Center in Ann Arbor, MI.
His gallery representation has included the Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Beartooth Gallery Fine Art, Red Lodge, Montana.
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” wont 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, the 27th show in 2022 and the 29th show in 2024.
His work has appeared on the cover 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. In 2022 he was honored to be interviewed in Sztuka Lowienia, a fly fishing magazine in Poland. He has also been Featured Artist in Ruffed Grouse Society’s Covers Magazine.
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.
Marks paintings have been described as painterly impressionistic realism. He paints in oils on linen.
RESUME
Education:
1973-1975 - B.A. in Art Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
1971-72 - Art Major/Advertising Design, Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts & Crafts (Now the College for Creative Studies, CCS), Detroit, Michigan
1970-71 - Art Major, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan
1968-70 - Commercial Art/Art Major, Oakland Community College, Farmington, Michigan
Past Art Shows:
2024 The 29th Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville, Georgia. A national show.
2022 The 27th Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville, Georgia. A national show.
2021 The 26th Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville, Georgia a national show.
2021 Mountain View Americana Art Show, Easley, South Carolina
2015-16 ongoing exhibiting artist at Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, Alpena, Michigan
2015 Featured Artist of the Month for March/April, Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, Alpena, Michigan
2014 SummerView Show at Art In The Loft Gallery 109, Alpena, Michigan
2014 WinterView Show at Art In The Loft Gallery 109, Alpena, Michigan
2014 Crooked Tree Juried Fine Art Exhibition at the Crooked Tree Art Center, Petoskey, Michigan September 20-November 15
2014 "The Best & Brightest" Art Show and Sale, Scottsdale Artists' School, Scottsdale, AZ. January 10-March 31
2013 Hidden River Art Festival, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Brookfield, Wisconsin
2012 - 40th Annual Artarama River Walk Art Festival, Eagle River, Wisconsin
2012 - 51st Annual Grand Haven Art Festival, Grand Haven, Michigan
2011 - Glen Ellyn Festival of the Arts, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
2009 - Harmony Art Show, Harrisville, Michigan
2008 - Harmony Art Show, Harrisville, Michigan
Gallery Representation:
2023-2024 Beartooth Gallery Fine Art, 110 South Broadway Ave, Red Lodge, MT
2022-2023 Broadmoor Galleries, 1 Lake Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
2017 - 2018 - Ann Arbor Art Center 117 Gallery Shop, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2015 - 2016 - Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, Alpena, Michigan
2010 - 2011 - Mullaly’s 128 Studio & Gallery, Elk Rapids, Michigan
2009 - ESAG Gallery, Harrisville, Michigan
Juried Group Exhibitions:
2019 - Juried Art Exhibition, Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, Alpena, Michigan. Honorable Mention Award Winner
2019 - "Menagerie - Wild and Wonderful" Exhibition, The Contemporary Art Exchange, Washington, North Carolina
2014 - Juried Fine Arts Exhibition, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey, Michigan
2009 - Juried Art Exhibition, Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, Alpena, Michigan. Honorable Mention Award Winner
Partial List of Collectors:
James and Lynn Stroud. Dallas, Texas, 1 commission (thru Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs
Derek Detring, Houston, Texas, 1 painting (thru Broadmoor Galleries)
Andy Parnes, Divide, Colorado, 2 paintings (thru Broadmoor Galleries)
Andy and Kammy Fleck, Dallas, Texas, 1 painting (thru Broadmoor Galleries)
Jake Searle, Lake Bluff, IL, 2 paintings
Bill Herrick, Indianapolis, IN, 1 painting
Scott Gowan, Talahassee, Florida, 3 painting
Warren Dennis, Katy, Texas, 2 paintings
Ed Demmer, Charlevoix, Michigan, 3 paintings
Bob Kagle, Charlevoix, Michigan, 2 paintings
Organization Affiliations:
2013 - Pheasants Forever Winnebago Chapter, Illinois Chapter. Auction a painting to benefit chapter conservation efforts.
2013 - Ducks Unlimited Kenilworth Chapter, Kenilworth, Illinois. Donate framed limited edition print to their fund raiser banquet for chapter conservation efforts.
2013 - Trout Unlimited Oak Brook Chapter, Oak Brook, Illinois. Donate framed limited edition print to their fund raiser banquet for chapter conservation efforts.
2010-13 - Artist Career Training
2009 - joined NEMAG (North Eastern Michigan Artist Guild), Alpena, Michigan
2008 - Joined ESAG (East Shore Artist Guild), Harrisville, Michigan
Workshops Attended:
2013 - Clayton Beck III Oil Painting from Life, The Pallette & Chisel, Chicago, Illinois
2011 - C. Michael Dudash Oil Painting, The Scottsdale Artists’ School, Scottsdale, Arizona
Past Career:
1977-2009 - Graphic Design and Illustration for advertising agencies/consumer promotions, freelance business owner of Behmer Design, Inc.
