markowenPaintings |

hello.

I’m a plein air painter. I’ve forgotten how to work in a studio; my practice is almost exclusively rooted in plein air on the spot observation. Nothing is added to the paintings in the studio except varnish and a frame.

This means lugging mutiple canvases and boards, large and small, easel, palette and paints down winding rocky paths to the beach, through fences and nettles into woodland or through the bustling streets of Soho dodging traffic and busy urban life and navigating public transport with large wet canvases in London Glasgow and Rome.

There are three main strands to my work, shady summer trees, sea and sky, and more recently unassuming urban scenes and snapshots of contemporary city life.

Looking and responding and looking.

OUTSIDE
INSIDE

AN EXHIBITION OF
NEW EN PLEIN AIR AND
STUDIO PAINTINGS BY

LOUISE GILLARD
PAULA MACFARLANE
MARK OWEN
LENA STOGNEVA
ROSIE WOODS

25TH APRIL - 8TH MAY 2026

10AM - 6PM

340 GALLERY
340 KINGS ROAD, CHELSEA
LONDON SW3 5UR

PRIVATE VIEW 28th APRIL 6.00PM

RSVP HERE FOR A PV INVITATION

2025 exhibitions include

Society of Graphic Fine Artists - Mall Galleries

Works on Paper - Gallery at Green and Stone, London

New English Art Club - Mall Galleries

Byrne Contemporary - West Sussex

Webbs Gallery - Clapham

The Beach, Teddington - gallery artist

Last Supper Gallery - Battersea

Spencer House Gallery - Tetbury

Plein Air Open - Rye Gallery, East Sussex

Soho Open - GPS Gallery, London

Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Mall Galleries

2025 competitions include

Richmond Artist of the Year 2025 - winner

Painswick Rococo Garden 2025 - winner

Spirit of Malvern Plein Air - urbanscape winner

Lansdowne Industrial Estate Cheltenham - winner (traditional)

Gloucester Plein Air Competition - 3rd place

education.

Growing up in Grimsby before heading south, Mark has mostly forgotten how to work in a studio.

At heart an artist, since art school alongside his painting, Mark has sandwiched in a career in product design, electronic art, graphic design and more recently teaching in University.

Now able to more of his time and energy to painting, his practice is mainly rooted in plein air, on the spot observation.

Nothing is added to the paintings in the studio except varnish and a frame.

Just rigorous observation and response.

Still the same art student at heart.

1982 - 85
Royal Academy Schools
RA Schools Diploma Fine Art (painting)

1985 - 87
Chelsea School of Art
HND Product Design

2006 - 08
Middlesex University
MA Electronic Arts

educate.

thirty years teaching experience working at Levels 3 - 6,
as well as private software training provided to professional designers
particular skills and interest in web delivery using open source software solutions and code based image and animation generation

higher education

2023 - present
University of West London
0.5 senior lecturer BA(Hons) Graphic Design

2015 - 2023
University of West London
course leader BA(Hons) Graphic Design

2002 - 2015
Kingston College
programme leader BA Digital Arts

1995 - 1997
(UeL franchise at Barking College)
programme leader BSc Product Design Year Zero

october 2007
Royal College of Art
MA design engineering Drawing for Designers lecturer

further education
Barking College and Kingston College
1993 - 2002 : programme leader ND Product Design, ND Modelmaking, ND 3D Design

training
2004 - present : formal software (photoshop and illustrator) tuition and support to architecture, exhibition design group

product design.

product design & modelmaking

1987 -1998

product designer at Crisp & Wilson, a leading Covent Garden product consultancy and later as a freelancer.

responsible for concept development, presentation, client liaison, prototypes, appearance models and production tooling drawings, [markers, engineering workshops, CAD]