Mark will talk about the origins of his love of pen & ink drawing, who first influenced him and how he came to know Alfred Wainwright. He will then talk about AW’s technique, what he used and the draughtsmanship of his guidebooks. Before describing how Mark evolved his linescape art over the succeeding half-century in creating his own quite distinct pictorial guides.

This will be followed by a workshop for up to ten aspiring pen artists sharing ideas on how to use a dip pen and the effects at one’s disposal that are quite distinct from other art media.

This event is in support of the Alfred Wainwright exhibition hosted by The Armitt, co-curated by Chris Butterfield.

About the speaker

Brought up to be a farmer in West Oxfordshire, Mark's one delight as a little boy was to look at comics. He was a very late reader and the illustrations all beautifully crafted in pen & ink captivated him. His mother’s Yorkshire Dales roots, where family holidays tended to be focused, gave Mark a romantic love of fell country. On a rare day trip to the Lakes, he purchased his first Pictorial Guide in his early teens and was immediately entranced by the whole magic of those little books. Seeking adventure at twenty, Mark left his Young Farmers' Club and joined Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club, discovering mountains. This drew him back to Wainwright’s guides. Pen & ink drawing was something Mark did from his mid-teens, influenced by a range of wonderful artists. Giving his drawings to friends, one in particular noting his fascination in Wainwright sent some of Mark's art to the Westmorland Gazette in the hope that AW might do a critique. He certainly did and, following an exchange of letters, Mark was invited to call and meet him. They became friends and Mark stayed many times with him during the early 1970s engaging in walks and watching him craft his pages. This was very much the platform that has led to a life-times passion for Mark's own brand of pictorial guides founded on a shared love of pen & ink drawing.