Guest writer Ruth Gray caught up with artist, Mark Langley
HM: Tell us about what you do?
ML: I am Mark Langley an artist. I work in pencil and colour pencil, my drawings are mainly of animals and architecture but I draw all kinds of subjects. My style is highly detailed and realistic. I work for commission, producing a portrait of an agreed subject to order, but I also produce original drawings which will go on to be exhibited at galleries and art fairs. Many of my original drawings are also reproduced as prints for sale at a variety of outlets.
HM: How did you get into it?
ML: I always loved drawing and produced some really involved pencil drawings as a teenager but I didn't think I could make a career out of it. When I left school I studied graphic design, illustration and photography. I then worked as a graphic artist mainly on a computer. I got back on to paper to produce animal portraits for friends in 2000 and the business grew from there.
HM: What are the best and worst aspects of what you do?
ML: I think that being entirely self employed and working alone from home can be either the best or the worst thing about what I do. It can be great being my own boss, making my own decisions, doing what inspires me as and when I am feeling inspired, but it can, at times, be isolating and stressful to organise. When I started out as an artist I don't think I appreciated that I would also need to be a manager, book keeper, web developer, administrator, and marketing guru all rolled into one too!
HM: What’s been inspiring you lately?
ML: I draw most of my inspiration from the countryside around me, the rural landscape, rural buildings, agricultural animals and British wildlife are constant sources of inspiration but at the moment I'm finding cows particularly inspiring. In addition I am planning to experiment with my approach to architectural subjects and a bit of landscape.
HM: Finally, is there anything in the pipeline you'd like to tell Hatch'd about?
ML: I'm starting to work with a fine art publisher for the first time this year. My first collection of images will be available in galleries toward the end of this year.
To find out more about Mark and hiswork you can visit his website.
This article was submitted by guest writer Ruth Gray. To find out more about Ruth visit her website, or follow her on .