Mark Kohler is a talented watercolor artist from Texas whose work is inspired by the nomadic animal handlers of Gaucho culture in South America, cowboys of the American Southwest and rodeos in Mexico known as the “Charreada.” Many of Mark’s best friends are cowboys and he “had a natural subject available” whose stories he is excited to tell through art.
Although, Mark is fortunate to have his subject close at hand, he is no stranger to traveling in order to capture a moment. His favorite places that he has gone to study cowboys are the Chino Valley of northern Arizona and Battle Mountain, Nevada. Internationally, his favorite destination has been Argentina where Gaucho culture reigns supreme.
Working from photographs he has taken on location, Mark effortlessly translates the strength, energy and regality of men and women on horseback. He is drawn to cowboy culture because it, “still represents a story that I want to tell: Cowboy and horse, both fighting for that last bit of freedom; ranch dogs and ranch horses who have none of the pedigree and all of the heart and the solid friendships of the people I’ve come to know and respect.”
When it comes to the artist brush he’s using, Mark says he has been painting with Silver Brush Black Velvet® for “around 15 years” because they remain pointed whereas other brand’s watercolor brushes become floppy and rounded at the tip. He uses multiple sizes of the rounds for both miniature and life size paintings.
Mark teaches one annual workshop in different locations around the U.S. and provides private, one-on-one lessons in his studio. He advises that any artists who wants to follow their passion should “out-work the competition” because “repetition is the mother of skill.”
Learn more about Mark on his website:http://www.markkohlerstudio.com