Mark Samuel

Profile

I have a family where architecture was/is a dominant interest. This has expressed itself in a variety of forms. My father was a modern architect and one of his house is today listed. My sister is a professor of Architecture. Several of my ancestors were water-colourists; or otherwise concerned themselves with art, scholarship and literature, I was brought up in a house full of pictures and books; in that respect being very privileged.. However, I was more interested in archaeology, in which I have worked continuously since 1981 - specialising in the study, analysis and reconstruction of buildings, long-destroyed and only known from archaeological excavations. It follows that my training was largely pre-CGI/CAD. This informs my style to this day. I always enjoyed using pencil and watercolour to record buildings and landscapes. I was virtually self-educated, developing an individual style. I particularly admire the Norfolk school (Cotman, Bonington). As a self-taught person, it has never occurred to me to follow any "-ism". I left institutional employment in 2001 and have since worked as a freelance archaeological specialist. It became apparent that 'heritage interpretation' was as vital as it was overlooked, Since 2014, I have worked on several reconstruction diorama projects. Clients appreciate that 3-D comprehension of excavated evidence is non-negotiable as a tool of inclusiveness. it is therefore vital to see it as part of the interpretative process. There is no Prince-Charles approved purity in my approach however which can more accurately described as "steam-punk"! I use CAD to model the subject and then (once the client has made their choice) select a fixed viewpoint. Detail at that stage is minimal. The basic forms are modelled using the simplest "two-and-a-half D" techniques. The 'block' view, once ready, is transferred to watercolour paper using a lightbox (I told you this was primitive!). The final image is then painted - yes - painted with fine detail provided by eye and mind. This allows freedom with an inimitable range of colours and textures + a convincing degree of messiness and dilapidation where appropriate. I started painting 'illustrations' for practice with some props and models. Experimentation in getting the 'look' of things and people was the aim. The images reproduced here are in part based on real literature. Others are parodies of genres. The themes invariably have a historic bent - usually comic. I hope you enjoy them.