An intense childhood interest in drawing and painting gave Mark Pettit an early start in the pursuit of becoming an artist, but there was little in his early efforts to suggest that he would attain his current level of success so early in his career. By devoting his efforts to fine art, Pettit, a native of Texas, was able to study at the Schuler School of Fine Art in Baltimore, Maryland, a school devoted to the teachings of Jacques Maroger, author of The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Old Masters. Maroger was a restorer at the Louvre and painting theoretician who developed a rich, luminous medium similar to that used by the 17th century Flemish Masters. This painstaking procedure consists of making black oil and mastic varnish, and grinding raw pigments combined with the use of linen canvas primed with white lead. Pettit feels this classic training has been invaluable to his ability to achieve a paint quality and luminosity rarely seen in today's art. The primary subject of Pettit's oils is the panoramic American landscape. Combining his own style with that of the Flemish painters and utilizing custom mediums to create vast dimensions, he brings the great outdoors inside with sensitivity and skill. He demonstrates a unique link between classic and modern in both his landscape and still life paintings. Pettit has visited Italy for extended periods of time, falling in love with the romantic landscape. Recently, he has started painting his beloved Venice. These rare and precious paintings are sought after by his collectors. Mark Pettit currently lives in Colorado where he finds the Colorado Rockies an inspirational atmosphere in which to live and work. He paints outdoors whenever possible for he feels the direct relationship with nature is the most important element in an artist's learning process and evokes the greatest emotion and desire to create.

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