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| 2003 Minnesota Waterfowl Stamp |
Mark refers to himself as a mechanic - slash - artist. He grew up, moving often because his father was stationed in the military. "He was in the Air Force and we traveled a lot. He retired when I was about 12 and we lived in Worthington, Minnesota for awhile."
It was while living in Worthington that Kness realized he not only had a talent for the arts, but that he was good at it. His inspiration came from a former Worthington pastor, a renowned wildlife artist himself, Jerry Raedeke.
"He had a good personality and although he was a pastor, he was also an artist. He was more human, a pretty down to earth type," Kness said of his introduction to Raedeke.
It was while living in Worthington that Kness realized he not only had a talent for the arts, but that he was good at it. His inspiration came from a former Worthington pastor, a renowned wildlife artist himself, Jerry Raedeke.
"He had a good personality and although he was a pastor, he was also an artist. He was more human, a pretty down to earth type," Kness said of his introduction to Raedeke.
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| Mark with his 4th place finish in the 2004 Federal Duck Stamp Competition. |
Kness said he has always had a good imagination which helps him in his field. Wildlife is his passion, but he has done a multitude of other subjects, which he feels has done him more good than harm. "I diversify to stay busy," he said of his work.
A self-taught artist, Kness said an art class at Worthington Junior High was what made him realize that he liked to work with color and sizes and shapes. "The teacher put a chair on a table and told us to draw it. I did a rough sketch in a couple of minutes and he held it up for everyone to see. That certainly helped to spark my interest."
He likes to stick to acrylic, but does do some watercolor. He has shown his work at local shows, but winning the coveted Minnesota Duck Stamp Contest is a definite feather in his artistic cap.
He likes the ability to be creative and he likes to put wildlife on canvas. "It's a challenge," he said of his art. "It's always there, that challenge, and I don't see that it's ever going to stop."
A self-taught artist, Kness said an art class at Worthington Junior High was what made him realize that he liked to work with color and sizes and shapes. "The teacher put a chair on a table and told us to draw it. I did a rough sketch in a couple of minutes and he held it up for everyone to see. That certainly helped to spark my interest."
He likes to stick to acrylic, but does do some watercolor. He has shown his work at local shows, but winning the coveted Minnesota Duck Stamp Contest is a definite feather in his artistic cap.
He likes the ability to be creative and he likes to put wildlife on canvas. "It's a challenge," he said of his art. "It's always there, that challenge, and I don't see that it's ever going to stop."