I have been painting and drawing since my youth, and studied Art at Chaffey College (AA) and UCR. Art is a predominant influence in my life and the creative process is inherent in me. I’m a member of numerous Art Associations including AAIE, PVAA, CCMA and RAM, an have won numerous awards for my work. Since retiring I have been actively pursuing my interest in Art and have exhibited at museums and galleries as well as local art shows in the area.

I enjoy painting in watercolor, acrylic, oil, and mixed media. My subject matter includes landscapes, architecture, figure studies, still lives and abstract expressionism. My influences include the California Impressionists and their landscape paintings that capture the color, light and essence of our local settings. I enjoy plien air painting and feel fortunate to be living here in Southern California, which offers vistas of mountains, deserts, oceans and a rich history of architecture. In the last several years I’ve been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and have been painting scenes I’ve sketched and photographed along the way. Ceramics, Photography and sculpture are other mediums I enjoy.

For my compositions, there needs to be interesting subject matter that draws a viewer into it. To achieve that I use a combination of lines, forms, planes, perspective, color, layers, texture, lighting and shading to create the illusion of perspective and depth. Overall the finished work should provide the observer with a feeling of being there and me sharing the experience with them. If interested in my work you can contact me at 909-996-2014 or e-mail: markrushart@gmail.com,  or website: https://markrushart.com.