Mark Hobson
Tofino, British Columbia
Born: 1953
Mark Hobson lives in Tofino, B.C. Canada on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, where he has painted professionally for over twenty-five years. Born in Vancouver in 1953 he grew up in various parts of B.C. alternating with living around the world in locations as far flung as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Portugal. His teenage years were spent in boarding schools, including two years in Northern Ireland. Drawing almost every day in his early years he gradually taught himself skills in watercolor, oils and acrylics. Mark is best known for his passionate portrayals of the wildlife and landscapes of the Canadian Pacific coast. From pounding surf to misty coves, from rainforests to the underwater realm, the careful use of light is always present enhancing subtle drama in his work. Professionally trained as a biologist, he taught high school science for nine years before devoting his career full time to painting.
Mark’s work has won awards in the U.S., Canada and Europe. He has participated in shows throughout North America and as far a field as Hong Kong and Singapore. At age thirteen he won the top art prize in the British Isles in the annual school competition sponsored by Brooke Bond Tea. More recently in 2009 he placed third in International Artist Magazine’s competition, “Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes” and in 2010 was featured in the magazine’s August cover story. Over twenty of his wildlife images have been printed by Ducks Unlimited as fund-raising limited edition prints and in 2006 he was chosen as their Artist of the Year.
