Artist: Mark Sylva

Mark Sylva is an artist with an eye for beauty that was born gazing at the waters around Chatham on Cape Cod where he was born. His love of the sea and boating was an early influence that ultimately led to a career in painting. He ran a successful design business for 20 years. Afterwards he moved to San Francisco Bay Area and found his way back to his other passion of painting. After living in Sedona Arizona for a bit he was able to capture the intense earth colors of the Southwest. Sylva has now returned to his east coast roots, living in New York State along the shore of Hampton Bays.

 Beginning at a young age he had painted with watercolors, now he paints with oils. Moving to Napa Valley Mark painted several years with internationally recognized artist John McCormick. Also while living in Napa Valley Mark traveled in Bordeaux, France as well as Spain and Portugal painting the subtle tones of the European wine countries.

 His art tends to be of a loose representation yet with a slight realism and quality of the subject. Drawn on its simplicity and infusing the tranquility of isolation and space. Depth and space created with layers present a certain solitude. A forever beyond or destination to somewhere.

 "Every day is different, as every tide will show me something new. We painters who capture landscapes, seascapes, will always be students of nature. My paintings are both representational and at the same time burned from my memory." The viewer may recognize something or perhaps a place from their own memory capturing the beauty of nature on canvas.