"The most diverse artist I've seen in years!"

In the years of frequenting galleries and art shows around the country, one can get the feeling that this artist or that artist has something that is worth watching. Mark Keathley is one such artist. When looking at his work over time, one can tell that he isn’t just "in the business" to make money.

While some artists find a niche and a style and push it for their entire career, Mark, is constantly searching. He searches for a better way to portray his subject, a better subject, a better composition, better color, even down to better strokes and application of paint.

When talking with him, you find out that he is never completely happy with his work, and will glance over at a blank canvas with anticipation of how the next one just might achieve the desired result.

It is this constant drive for perfection that propelled him to leave his home of thirty years and take his family to a new place (Fredericksburg, Texas) to study with several well known artists. After a year of workshops, where he determined to go in with an open mind and a new approach, he says he's "got it in his sights, now and knows where he wants to go." One can see the changes from year to year as he rises through the ranks of other professional artists. His tools for change? Bigger brushes and blobs of paint on the palette to start with, but mostly a serious eye for what he wants. And, of course, he has the will to get there.

Mark is one of the most prolific artists around. He doesn’t stand over his canvas wondering what to do next. Bold fast strokes propel him to the finished stage quicker than most. Most of his life is this way.

Working fast while he builds his home or cuts the grass, allows him the time he needs to finally get away and “see” with new perspective. Comparing himself to a composer for symphony, whom always has a new tune in his mind, Mark finds images and techniques floating around in the back of his thoughts in everyday activities.

He is constantly noticing color and light and thinking of how he could capture that with the fewest strokes. This constant concentration gives him his accelerated speed. The "thing" is already studied. He knows where he wants to go, because it is familiar to him. So he attacks his canvas with an exciting speed, pausing for a moment here or there to think through and solve an unexpected problem, but soon splashing on more paint.

His paintings have evolved over his twenty year career from very detailed and rather rendered pieces to a freer expression of form and color that are much more enjoyable to view. In his early works, people were awed by the amount and the accuracy of his details, and life-like look. "That looks like a photograph", they would say, and yet inside, Mark would cringe. "If I wanted it to look like a photograph, I'd have just used my camera." He knows they were complimenting him, but deep inside he wanted someone to say, "Now that’s a painting!"

Now days, however, this is what you’ll hear when you visit a gallery where his paintings hang. Whether it is a small 11x14 or a huge 96x120, you will be aware of his sensitivity to reality and the life like look. Then come a little closer, and you will be taken with the style and technique where brush stokes and “beautiful paint” are as pleasing to look at, as the overall scene.

Keep an eye on Mark Keathley. Make the effort to visit one of the fine galleries that show his work. You’ll be glad you did. Keep a look out for the subtle changes. Track his progression. Ask who is buying. You will see that he is definitely an artist to watch.