
The West Volusia Artists announce that Mark Knowlton is January’s Artist of the Month. His piece Daisy is a three-dimensional rendition of a friend’s dog, made with spackling on canvas, plus acrylic paint and glass eyes. Daisy will be on display at the Wayne G. Sanborn Activity Center in DeLand during the month of January.
Knowlton was born in Canton, Ohio. After living in many places, he and his wife settled in DeLand in 2005.
He has been dabbling in art for more than 60 years. His father and grandfather influenced him to do woodcarvings, sculptures, leather-crafting, welding, building theater sets, calligraphy, and architectural graphics and renderings.
Knowlton’s background in art first developed during a college course called Architectural Technology in the 1980s. He also took classes in welding, heat-treating and forging at The Ohio State University. Boy Scouts taught him woodcarving skills. Instruction from Bob Ross videos and Mariselle Butler’s drawing classes have helped improve his art skills, as did other subscription services.
Knowlton’s first gallery opening was a sculpture that was shown at The Hub in New Smyrna Beach in December.
In 2020, after reading about the West Volusia Artists in The Beacon, he and his wife were eager to try something new. They found the group to be friendly and encouraging of all levels of art.
Currently Knowlton serves on the group’s Activity Committee. A SunRail trip to Winter Park to see the Morse Museum or the Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens is planned for the end of January.
“Art is an expression of one’s soul,” Knowlton said. “It begins with an interest, then you’re buying supplies and, soon, you find you’re challenging yourself with new ideas like plein-air painting.”
Knowlton and his wife, Wini, enjoy camping and shooting, and Mark Knowlton volunteers as a range-safety officer.
The West Volusia Artists meet 9 a.m.-noon on the first and third Fridays September through May at the Sanborn Activity Center, 815 S. Alabama Ave. in DeLand. Artists of all levels are welcome.
For more information, call club President Melinda Ellis Cummings at 386-846-3330.