Meet Mark Evans | Mechanical Engineer & Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Evans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I wanted to use both my artistic and technical abilities to capture life’s extraordinary experiences.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started developing my artistic skills while in elementary school by taking private fine art painting lessons that my mom helped support. As my skills as a fine artist progressed, I focused on seascapes and sold them to friends and family. I also gave my paintings as wedding gifts. While in high school, I started displaying my work at Mall shows and would oil paint while at the show. I was accepted to the University of Washington and started out as a Graphic Design major, where I further developed my skills. I decided it would be hard to support a family in this field, so changed my major to Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, I had a 37 year career as a mechanical engineer supporting the US Navy. I would paint off and on during this timeframe while taking classes for watercolors and portraits. After retirement from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, I decided to go back to my passion for art and incorporate some technical aspects from my career as an engineer with the Navy. I have oil painted submarines and an aircraft carrier as part of my seascapes. I incorporated a motion sensed picture light that plays audio files associated with the Moonlit Emergency Blow of a SSN 688 class submarine. I also modeled and oil painted a 3D printed a CVN 68 class aircraft carrier which was included on my Coming Home oil painting. I like to capture life’s extraordinary experiences for people and have accomplished a number of commissions for a house, a cat, a child and dog, and am currently working on three siblings in front of their grandparent’s fireplace. I am proud of my accomplishments creating 3D art by use of 3D printing and providing multi sensory art. I have been traveling to accomplish photo studies to support upcoming series of paintings and will continue to look for opportunities to incorporate tech into my art. A few recent photo study trips include Cannon Beach, OR, Sedona and Grand Canyon, AZ, and the islands of Hawaii. I have found that persistence in developing artistic skill and marketing ones work are the most important traits of a successful artist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting us in Seabeck, WA for a week, I would take them all over the Olympic Peninsula. We would take a day trip to many of the wineries and see the sights around both sides of the Hood Canal. We would take a longer trip around the Olympic mountains, through Poulsbo, Port Gamble, Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles, Forks, Ocean Shores, and along much of the Washington coast. We would see beautiful scenery much of the way, including the Puget Sound, Hurricane Ridge, Hoh Rainforest, and Pacific Ocean coastline. I would be able to show them some of the inspiration for my oil paintings. We would try out some different accommodations and new restaurants along the way. While near Seabeck, we would go to our favorite restaurants and enjoy some of the activities and entertainment in the area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN) and my family. The BARN’s seminars, tech talks, classes, and helpful members have assisted me in reinvigorating my skills as an artist and further enhancing the tech I incorporate into my art. My wife, Denise, and three kids, Megan, Arielle, and Jordan have always been so supportive in my endeavors. They provide recommendations on how to increase exposure to my techart business. I can always bounce ideas against them and obtain their opinion of my artwork.

Website: https://www.evanstechart.com/shop-art

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanstechart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evanstechart/

Other: Email: mark@evanstechart.com