After leaving school Mark studied music at evening classes in London, before moving to working in Passenger Transport and Retail industries. From there he had the urge to travel and so as a way of supporting himself he spent a year studying art and illustration before working as a freelance artist up and down the country doing pen and ink portraits of period houses, dogs and horses. From his travels he developed a strong interest in photography and local history which resulted in recently taken a course in freelance photography. Today he still creates house drawings, paintings and portraits and works from his Studio/Gallery in Appleby in Westmorland in Cumbria. Had several solo exhibitions around the UK. In between Creating artworks for clients in the UK and beyond he shares his skills through classes and makes paints from stones and rocks.