Mark R. Pugh, 1979 | Figurative painter

Mark R. Pugh began creating art at a very young age but did not pursue a career as an artist until later in his adult life.

After earning a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Pugh decided to change course and develop his artistic skills with help from his mentor, Jeffrey Hein.

Despite his short time as a working artist he has already received awards in some of the top art competitions in the world.

His style infuses traditional realism with a surreal quality and elements of storytelling that allow him to explore themes of spirituality and human behavior.

Artist Statement

"I am most attracted to works of art that are beautiful, well crafted, and tell compelling stories.

For me to feel I have created a successful piece of art, I must achieve a balance between these three aspects: a strong narrative, technical mastery, and aesthetic harmony.

It is my belief that a certain level of skill and creativity can elevate a work to professional excellence, but that it shouldn’t end there.

Art should move the soul of the viewer, and if I don’t find myself similarly moved while creating it, I can hardly expect that of the viewer".

Within his first year as a full-time artist he was awarded first place in The Artist’s Magazine "2016 All Media Competition" for his piece Learning How to Pedal a Tricycle.

A finalist in several national and international competitions, he also received an honorable mention in the "2018 ARC Salon" for Celestial Navigation.

Mark R. Pugh ha iniziato a creare arte in tenera età, ma non ha intrapreso la carriera di artista se non più tardi nella sua vita adulta.

Dopo aver conseguito una laurea in psicologia, Pugh ha deciso di cambiare rotta e sviluppare le sue capacità artistiche con l'aiuto del suo mentore, Jeffrey Hein.

Nonostante il suo tempo relativamente breve come artista attivo, Pugh ha partecipato a numerosi concorsi artistici ed esposto in gallerie, musei e collezioni private in tutto il mondo.

Il suo stile infonde realismo tradizionale con una qualità surreale ed elementi di narrazione che gli permettono di esplorare i temi della spiritualità e del comportamento umano.