A Cut Above the Rest: Mark A. Pearce
A Cut Above the Rest: Mark A. Pearce
There are many reasons to visit Ravenglass – timeless, inspiring and always a pleasure to visit – it never fails to leave a lasting impression and always draws you back.
This beautiful coastal village is also home to world-class artist Mark A Pearce.
Ravenglass has always been a favourite destination of mine, and on a recent visit, I stopped by the delightful Estuary Tea Rooms & Gallery, which overlooks the estuary.
Owner Sarah showed me the gallery, and it was there that I discovered the work of artist Mark A. Pearce.
Mark is a professional printmaker and landscape artist living and working in the coastal village of Ravenglass. His home studio is on the shores of the Ravenglass estuary with stunning views of the surrounding fells and sea. As such, inspiration is in abundance, which helps Mark capture the area in his paintings and original linocut prints.
Mark is a member of the Lake Artists Society and is well known for his vibrant multi-coloured reduction linocuts. He displays his work year-round at the Estuary Tea Rooms & Gallery, where his work adorns the walls in both the Tea Rooms and Gallery.
I mistook his linocut paintings for acrylics as the colours are vibrant, vivid and alive. I did not know you could do linocut in colour; I had never seen it before.
To say I was – blown away – would be a bit of an understatement. Marks fine art prints and paintings are equally impressive, and I was surprised I had not heard of Mark before then.
Mark, a well-known and award-winning artist, says, “At school, I spent most of my time in the art department. I then went on to do a one-year foundation course at Carlisle College of Art.
There I learned the art of printmaking and continued my studies at the Norwich School of Art, doing a degree in graphic design.”
His first job was as a graphic designer with John Nash and Friends, and his second was with Michael Peters and Partners. Mark went on to win a D&AD (Design and Art Directors Club of Great Britain) silver award for the first greeting stamps issued by the Royal Mail.
These featured smiles from Dennis the Menace and the Cheshire Cat. Mark won a BBC design award, which included many appearances on TV.
Mark travelled the world in the 1990s with his consulting company Springpoint and worked with many global brands, including Vodafone, the BBC, Martel, and many more.
However, the call for a more serene and laidback way of life saw Mark return to Cumbria and do what he loves to do more than anything else: create in an environment that inspires.
Mark says, “This is now my home and studio, where I practise my passion for painting and printmaking. Eskside Studio was set up in 2010 by me and my sister Sarah Bell, who also runs The Estuary Tea Rooms & Gallery as well as Rosegarth Bed & Breakfast”
To see Mark’s work up close, come along to Estuary Views Gallery and Tea Room in Rosegarth, Main Street, Ravenglass, when they re-open at the end of August, you won’t be disappointed.
In the meantime, visit his website, you can browse and buy his work to hang in your home.
Estuary Views Gallery and Tea Room in Rosegarth is temporarily closed and will reopen at the end of August. You can still see and get your hands on Mark’s work by visiting his website, so head on over and take a look—you won’t be disappointed.
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