Artist Bio
Mark is a Hampshire-based painter and printmaker whose work investigates the visual and psychological landscape of suburbia. Over the past five years, he has developed Mapping the Familiar, an ongoing body of paintings and linocut prints derived from daily walking routes through Horton Heath and the surrounding environment.
Through repetition, reduction and pattern, familiar streets, hedges and dog walkers are reconfigured into rhythm-driven compositions that sit between observation and abstraction. The work examines how attention transforms the overlooked and how place becomes charged through memory and routine.
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Five Questions with Mark
1. Tell me about you and your work
I trained in Fine Art painting and sculpture, and over the years I’ve worked in pottery, designed display stands, and later became a full-time teacher in further education. Teaching has been a big part of my creative journey, but alongside it I’ve always made my own art. Today, I focus mainly on paintings and linocut prints, which I also sell online and at exhibitions. My work explores place, memory, and everyday life, often drawing inspiration from the Hampshire landscape and community scenes.
2. What is the most enjoyable thing about what you do?
In teaching, the most rewarding part is helping others develop their own artistic voice. In my own practice, I genuinely enjoy the entire creative process—drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpting—each discipline feeding into the other. I particularly enjoy researching and experimenting, but what excites me most is the challenge of capturing the essence of a subject in a way that feels fresh and authentic.
3. Where do you get your inspiration from?
Much of my inspiration comes from being outdoors in the Hampshire countryside—walking the dog, cycling, or simply observing the landscape. I’m also influenced by galleries, films, books, and documentaries. Conversations are equally important: talking with friends, fellow artists, and students often sparks new ideas. These interactions, combined with daily encounters in my surroundings, help shape my linocut prints and paintings.
4. How do you start a piece?
I usually begin with drawing. Even quick sketches or playful methods—like making a continuous line drawing from memory with my eyes closed—can spark a new idea. I enjoy incorporating chance into my process because it keeps the work spontaneous and dynamic. If I know exactly what a piece will look like before I start, I lose interest; I thrive on the element of surprise as a work evolves.
5. Why do you make art?
For me, making art is a necessity—it’s both a habit and a passion. I love the challenge of creating, the sense of discovery, and the learning that comes with every painting or print. I don’t always know where a piece will end up, but that’s part of the excitement. Art is a way to express myself, connect with place and memory, and continue exploring. The process is addictive, and I feel restless if I’m not making something new
MARK JONES
Hampshire, UK
Painter & Printmaker
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION
2026
Mapping the Familiar – The Arc, Winchester
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2026
Printfest, Ulverston
Society of Graphic Fine Art 105th Annual Open, Mall Galleries, London
Society of Wood Engravers 88th Annual Touring Exhibition
(Bankside Gallery, London; Oriel Môn, Anglesey; Museum in the Park, Stroud; Ludlow Assembly Rooms; The North Wall, Oxford; Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk)
2025
Landscape Open, Salisbury Museum
Ironbridge Printmaking Competition, Telford
Winchester Print Fair
Society of Graphic Fine Art 104th Annual Open, Mall Galleries
Society of Wood Engravers 87th Annual Touring Exhibition
(Bankside Gallery; Make Southwest; Kirkby Gallery; The North Wall; Zillah Bell Gallery)
2024
Royal Society of British Artists Open, Mall Galleries
Society of Graphic Fine Art 103rd Annual Open, Mall Galleries
Society of Wood Engravers 86th Annual Touring Exhibition
(Bankside Gallery; Northern Print; The Barn, Banchory; Frames Gallery; The North Wall; Zillah Bell Gallery)
Bath Open Art Exhibition
Omega Printmakers Exhibition, Portsmouth
2023
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
Society of Wood Engravers 85th Annual Touring Exhibition
Small But Mighty Open, Bankside Gallery
St Barbe Open, Lymington
2022–2018
Southampton City Gallery Open (multiple years)
RBSA Art Prize Open, Birmingham
Oxmarket Open, Chichester
AWARDS & HONOURS
2025
Associate Member, Society of Graphic Fine Art
2024
Uncommon Club Creative Business Support Scholarship
1995
Highly Commended, Bayer Earth Art, Mall Galleries
Coopers & Lybrand Major Award, Manchester Academy of Fine Arts
3rd Prize, Grosvenor Museum Open
1994
Shortlisted, 2D Award, Drumcroon Open
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
University of Portsmouth Library, UK
Zinoloci Issue 1 held in:
Tate Britain Library & Archive, London
The British Library, London
Glasgow School of Art Library
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Watson Library, New York
Royal Oldham Hospital (Two Amphitheatre Paintings)
Oldham College
EDUCATION
2022–2024
MA Illustration (Printmaking), Distinction
University of Portsmouth
1992–1994
MA Art & Design (Painting)
Leeds Metropolitan University
1979–1982
BA Fine Art (Sculpture), First Class
Loughborough College of Art & Design
PGCE Adult & Further Education, University of Manchester
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Artist & Printmaker (2021–present)
Former Head of Art, Peter Symonds College, Winchester and Head of Art, Itchen College, Southampton