04 Jan “Art for the Man Cave” Showcase Exhibit by Mark Rouse
From From: 12:00 PM to 05:00 PM
At Stephenson House Gallery
107 S 8th St, Noblesville, IN 46060
https://noblesvillecreates.org/
Free
J.C. Seig / (317) 452-3690, jseig@noblesvillecreates.org
Mark Rouse’s artistic journey is a reflection of his ability to treat each new day as an opportunity for accomplishment. His upcoming Stephenson House gallery showcase exhibit, Art for the Man Cave, will be a celebration of sports, cars, music, and a reflection of his own passions.
In 2015, Mark was declared legally blind due to Diabetic Retinopathy. Recovery was slow, but possible through revolutionizing techniques and care. He had been painting and taking photographs for decades and needed a new way to create artwork. A digital painting/mixed media method was his solution.
His process has remained largely unchanged since the early days of his recovery. When blind, he discovered that he could hook his computer up to his large television and zoom in to digitally paint. Nowadays, he doesn’t need such a large screen, but will still digitally paint. Sometimes a piece is printed on canvas or another material, before Mark adds further highlights, shadow detail, texture and depth with physical paint and other materials. Other paintings use the digital renderings as a reference for traditionally painted works. Lately, he notes,“I am trying some more abstract type landscapes that have pretty powerful imagery.”
Mark’s participation in multiple art fairs this past summer gave him the inspiration behind the Art for the Man Cave collection. Every fair is different between its layout, artist make up, and audience. When not discussing his work with other artists or potential patrons, he found himself watching, trying to piece together what visitors were innately drawn to. He discovered that couples usually followed a pattern, that a woman might wander up to t-shirts, florals, and that a man might veer toward his artwork featuring sports, cars, and vividly colored images. The thought struck him one day, “My art would be good art for a man cave.”
See the full exhibit, Art for the Man Cave, in the Stephenson House Gallery at the Noblesville Creates campus from March 7-29. Visitors can expect to find a variety of images from landscapes, cars, and more. The full campus is open for exploration Wednesday-Friday, 12-5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. You can meet Mark during his free public open house reception on Friday, March 7, 6-9 p.m.
