ARTISTS AMONG US
/FROM OUR ARCHIVES …
Due to a seasonal bad cold (not COVID!) our editor is way behind schedule for the January, 2023 issue and so we offer some articles from our archives, updated with some more recent information, that we think are definitely worth repeating.
Like this “Artists Among Us” story feature about West End artist Marcus Wild.
Marcus Wild.
(click on images above and below to enlarge)
MARCUS WILD
Creating Art Ever Since His First Crayon
Describing a lifelong career that has run the gamut from stunning oil paintings of Vancouver landmarks to video game art, and includes creating a comic book to accompany the release of a Marilyn Manson album, West End artist Marcus Wilds says: “I have been an artist as long as I can remember. Ever since my mother thrust a coloured crayon into my hand to keep me entertained while she baked.
“Since then I’ve tried my hand at most things visual that involve putting a mark down on a piece of paper, canvas or indeed a ‘virtual’ mark on a computer screen.”
Marcus grew up in the English city of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire. Along with two brothers, a jazz drummer father and an artist mother, he had a wonderfully creative childhood.
Once he had finished school, Marcus went on to complete a two-year foundation course in art at the local technical college, and then on to Wolverhampton University to focus on design and Illustration for the next three years.
“Armed with a degree, a major hangover, and my portfolio, I made my way to London,” Marcus reports. “Wide-eyed and ready to go, I embraced that fantastic city, and found myself working in some interesting places, to say the least! In and around the field of advertising I worked at full-service ad companies as well as in studios full of like-minded storyboard artists, illustrators and painters. Great times indeed with the music blaring and everyone running around to get jobs done before the dreaded deadline!”
After 15 years in London honing his skills, Marcus decided to move to Canada and found himself in Vancouver. As soon as his work visa arrived he landed a job at Electronic Arts (Black Box). “It was a fantastic place to kickstart my next adventure into the field of video game concept art,” he says. Three years there doing concepts, storyboarding and a little bit of art direction on award-winning titles in the Need for Speed franchise was fun and allowed Marcus to meet and learn from some very experienced people. From there he went to a smaller games company for a brief time.
“After finishing a game or two there I decided that I needed to do something for myself” Marcus explains, “and so I began focusing on various children’s book ideas that had been buzzing around in my head for years. The Pirate Who Lost His AARRR! was my first to be published.”
Other children's titles from Marcus’ creative mind include Things To Do Before You’re Nine and The T-Rex and the Red Ball.
“I still like to fill my time with a variety of different projects,” he says, “ranging from contract game concepting through to film storyboarding, as well as the occasional large painting exhibition.”
Three years ago Marcus completed a month-long sketch-a-day diary of the landmarks and interesting views around Vancouver, published as “Vancouver In Loving Colour”. “Talking to people as I drew an interesting intersection was a wonderful way to spend a few hours each day during the month of July.”
Perhaps unexpected from an artist known for vibrantly coloured and loving depictions of city scenes and entertaining children’s stories, in 1999 Marcus created a black-and-white comic book to accompany the release of a limited tour edition of Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals, as well as creating the illustrated hardcover sleeve. The comic depicted scenes from the “I Don't Like the Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)" music video.
There’s not much, given a pencil, a paintbrush, a crayon, or a bunch of pixels, that Marcus Wild won’t tackle!
In discussing his inspirations Marcus says: “I'm a very passionate artist who will think nothing of going above and beyond to make sure the project I am working on is done to the very highest degree of professionalism and expertise that my talents will allow.”
Over the last couple of years and throughout COVID lock down Marcus got very busy with his paints, creating as many large and small acrylic paintings as possible, ranging from 6''x 6'' up to 5ft x 4ft.
Over a hundred in fact! Enough to fill three galleries. But alas, finding a suitable place to showcase them still eludes him. One day!
Alongside the painting, Marcus has also been busy writing and illustrating a new children's book which hopefully will see daylight soon.
Watch this space in 2023.
Until then, he is happy to share his talent and artistic knowledge as a staff member of the downtown Opus Art Supplies store, and you can find more of Marcus’ work at marcuswildart.weebly.com.
