Mark Jackson - Modern Artist 

Mark Jackson was born on March 19, 1973 by David and Sandra Wareham at 7:11 am. He was with his real family for 8 years and severely abused by his mother. Mark Jackson often attributes his creativity to the days spent in locked closets those first eight years of his life. He fortunately was left in a closet for 7 days once without food or water or light and his sister faith is praised for saving his life trying to break the lock on the closet door to feed mark.... It wasn't long after that week that mark and his older brother Corey Wareham were taken and put I to child welfare foster homes. Corey and mark were separated during. The adoption process and have been estranged since. Mark was always a rebellious kid. And. Ran away from home and stayed on the street for several years as a teenager traveling. And running from the law.

 

When he turned 18 Mark Jackson disappeared for almost 17 years and family and friends heard nothing from him until his return to Oregon at the age of 41 with no explanation as to where he was for so long and nobody asked they were just happy he was home. Mr. Jackson upon arriving in Eugene applied for school and took all electives art charcoal, painting portrait , and of course art history. And mark excelled at all art he touched and his instructor Adam Growosky soon took Mark under his arm and started helping as much as he could and before you knew it Mark Jackson was getting questions from the galleries around town but he sternly turned them down. Just because he had painted 3 series of 60 paintings, abstract, portrait, and landscape but had sold them all usually before they were even done. Being a great painter and student Mark Jackson finished school and once again disappeared into the working world for eight years.

 

During his vacancy from the art world Mark Jackson only painted three paintings for family and friends. Depressed Mark went into drinking heavily and ended up on the streets of Eugene, Oregon. For almost two and a half years. You may have seen him on Garfield st. Where he waved the Bob's Donuts and deli sign for the entire time. And was considered the best sign waver in Eugene and news channel 9 did a minute and thirty seconds article about mark. Then for some reason Mark Jackson disappeared again. This time thought dead Mark Jackson was instead in the hospital getting bilateral hip replacements. Tragically Mark Jackson had just begin his four year journey back to the art world and his fans. Mark Jackson went through several surgeries and health issues over the next three years but was again in the sight of his colleagues and friends. After his final surgery on his right. Elbow and a repair to his left hand Mark Jackson. No longer could do any physical labor and ended up depressed again.

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With the austrio Pima pre curser to ostio prosis at the age of 45 denied disability for four years and in constant pain and in one state or another of recovery from alcohol, drugs, and depression marks friends begin to rally around him especially his closest and most dear friends Nicholas Shmit, and Cliff Reed ( not sure about cliffs last name ) cliff taking mark off the streets that he fell back into after getting so depressed about his third denial for social security . Knowing it would take one year or more to appeal Mark had no more options and turned back to painting out of desperation. Cliff helped mark get canvas and paint, and had a studio of sorts for Mark to paint, and store his paintings. two days after Mark Jackson returned to painting he was receiving offers from local gallery's because it is the first Friday of the Eugene art Walk.

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When it comes to family, Mark's adopted grandfather Harry Jackson is a famous landscape artist. Mark's son Conrad is an aspiring artist himself.

 

In the recent months he has been trading, made history, by being the first applicant in the Eugene. Art Walk schedule only after two days of painting.(put that in or not ) Mark Jackson also will not do prints, or re show a painting after the first show . Rarely but it has happened Mark Jackson became notorious for taking the paintings left from the showing in a gallery and walk them into the street and either give them away or stir up a crowd auctioning them off to the highest bidder. He States " it. Keeps me painting, I am devastated to see artists that get into prints and sell enough to live but fail to continue to paint my mentor hardly paints anymore , and I hate to see prints in a gallery on display why not take the risk keep yourself and your art one of a kind and that is the secret to success in art .... Bring color and joy into this world stuck in the midnight light."and be a healer Be kind, GIVING and loving to your fellow human beings, take the time it takes to do random acts of kindness every day I beg of you this more then anything will fill your void with purpose.

 

Peace , mark Jackson modern artist