Featured Artist Mark Lembo

Artist Mark Lembo presents a collection of  mixed-media woven paintings and montages inspired by music. See more of his portfolio on his website.

 

 

I play in a pool of aqueous solutions including liquid watercolor, acrylic ink, alcohol ink, liquid acrylics, metallic watercolors, pearlescent inks, even food coloring. I bring to life dynamic works from a simple palette of primary colors.

 

 

Back in ‘06/’07, I saw a Jackson Pollock documentary and wondered, “What if he had used watercolor?” So, I started my version of action painting with aqueous solutions. Soon after, I answered some calls in Watercolor Magazine and unexpectedly, was juried into a dozen shows across the country over the next two years. Business career and personal matters brought us to Tampa in 2010. I stepped away from creating.

 

 

In late 2020, I made a commitment to reboot, assemble a real website and get out there. Since then, I have participated in dozens of local events and exhibits. I received a microgrant from the Gobioff Foundation and a professional development grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. I was also fortunate to have my first solo show, Non-linear, at the Corridor Gallery in the Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa.

 

 

Pardon the pun, but my process is pretty fluid. Starting with a blank sheet, I may apply some masking fluid, then add media and go. I shy away from brushwork and have little direct input to how images develop. The media’s different densities and properties create an array of wonderful interactions. These are captured on traditional watercolor paper or Yupo ™ synthetic paper. Recently, I have focused on strip weave and montage/collage techniques which provide another level of abstraction to my work.

 

 

In the montages, I am looking to manage contrasts and balance among the colors and shapes, or continue a line, or lines, through the gathered elements. Finished works have expanded in size from 11”x14” to 24”x24” and the elements have trended smaller, as in the Inch series.

 

 

My inspiration comes mainly from music. I have an eclectic playlist which sets the mood. It ranges from Buena Vista Social Club to Dropkick Murphys. The recent montage Or Nothing At All resulted from hearing that song one day.

 

 

My goal is to create something new and unique. It astounds me to see the hundreds of nearly identical videos out there. There are so many possibilities to explore. Why follow such a well-worn path?

 

 

I enjoy the artist/entrepreneur balancing act, as it plays to the things I enjoy (aside from cooking). From the classic view of the entrepreneur as a risk taker, you are putting yourself in front of a market and getting (sometimes unfiltered) feedback. From the economic view, you are a business that will survive, or not, based on the decisions made on product and service offerings.

 

 

Now, time to get back to the pool!

 

Mark Lembo invites you to follow him on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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