MARK ENGELIEN

BIO

“Exploring Techniques”​​

art by Mark Engelien

Mark Engelien is a retired Architect. While at Cal Poly , San Luis Obispo, Mark studied drawing, watercolor, and ceramics as part of his professional training. He used those drawing skills to represent visions of design concepts to clients and community. He was part of the Architectural community in Bakersfield from 1971 to 2013, when he retired from his practice. From 2014 to 2016, he served as director of the Bakersfield Museum of art.

Early in his career, watercolor painting was Mark's medium for recreational art. Then ,children and business pursuits, diminished the time he had to dedicate to this activity. His watercolors sat idle for over 40 Years.  

Mark began to use ink sketches as a means to create memories of places he and his family visited, while on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest , in the year 2000. He learned that a sketch embeds the memory of an experience, more deeply and indelibly than any photograph, often sharing sketches with friends and family to help commemorate shared adventures. 

In 2018, Mark began using both digital rendering and watercolor to augment his ink sketches.

Suddenly, we were hit by a pandemic

Mark used this confined time, to reactivate and enhance his watercolor skills. He turned his attention back to developing his use of watercolor as his primary medium. Viewing internet demonstrations and tutorials and painting over 100 watercolors in 2020 , he believes that in one year , he has gained nearly ten years of growth in his art techniques. While architectural subjects and urban spaces  embody much of his subjects, he has added other subject matter to his body of work.  Portraits, wildlife , nature, are now themes for his art.  

This show will encompass examples of this type of work and demonstrates the use of skills and approaches to painting discovered in the past year.