Artist Mark Schmidt
~ story and photos by Paige Langenderfer
In a small studio on his Brown County property, Mark Schmidt is more inspired than he has ever been. The surrounding towering trees, wildlife, and silence create the perfect setting for producing visual art.
“ I have produced more work here in two and a half years than I did in several years living anywhere else,” Schmidt said.“ It’ s so quiet here. The sunsets are prettier. The landscapes are prettier. Autumn here is like walking through a painting.”
With a seemingly effortless swipe of a pallet knife, Schmidt transforms a blank canvas into a living, breathing work of art. He transports the viewer from a cold Brown County winter to a European vista or a summer sunset off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Amazingly, Schmidt’ s mastery of pallet knife painting started just a little more than two years ago on a whim.
“ I was trying to add dimension to my paintings with a brush and wasn’ t have any luck,” he said.“ One day, by accident, I used a drywall spatula and it did exactly what I wanted.”
Schmidt has no formal training. He is completely selftaught.
“ I read a lot of art history and try to immerse myself in the techniques of other artists,” he said.“ When I was learning how to paint with pallet knives, I totally immersed myself in Jackson Pollock’ s work. I studied how he painted and looked up the materials he used. I bought pallet knives and just kept experimenting until I figured it out.”
Schmidt’ s entire career has followed a similar pattern. While Schmidt has always known he would be an artist, he has never had any formal training. His work comes from an innate love of life’ s beauty and a desire to share it with others.
Growing up in Madison, Indiana, Schmidt said his passion began at an early age. When he was just seven, he entered and placed in his first adult art competition.
“ My mom always said that if I was feeling stressed, she would just give me paper and a pencil and I would be fine,” Schmidt said.“ Even today, I have at least
22 Our Brown County Jan./ Feb. 2017