Mark Sylva is an artist with an eye for beauty that was born gazing at the waters around Cape Cod. His love of the sea and boating was an early influence that ultimately led to a career in painting. Mark studied design and art at the New England School of Art and Design. After graduating he ran a successful design business for 20 years. Afterwards, he moved to California and found his way back to his other passion of painting. Sylva has now returned to his east coast roots, living in New York state along the shore of Hampton Bay.
Beginning at a young age he had painted with watercolors, now he paints with oils. Living in Napa Valley Mark painted several years with internationally recognized artist John McCormick. He also spent time in Sedona Arizona capturing the intense earth colors of the Southwest. While living in Napa Valley and traveling in Bordeaux, France Mark painted the subtle tones of the wine countries.
His art tends to be of a loose representation and abstract quality of the subject. Drawn on its simplicity and infusing the tranquility of isolation and space. Depth and space created with layers present a certain solitude. A forever beyond or destination to somewhere. Alone but not lonely.
“Every day is different, as every tide will show me something new. We painters who capture landscapes, seascapes, will always be students of nature. My paintings are both representational and at the same time burned from my memory.” The viewer may recognize something or perhaps a place from their own memory capturing the beauty of nature on canvas.
Sylva has now returned to his East coast roots, living along the shore of Hampton Bay, New York.
