Mark Nesmith is a modern American painter and musician from Southeast Texas. Nesmith studied art at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX earning his BFA in 1998. He teaches art in the Port Neches-Groves ISD (Roland, University Press). Nesmith also studied painting and drawing at the University of North Texas in Denton and previously taught in the Dallas ISD and the Goose Creek CISD. He has written about art for Ezine Articles and Empty Easel, and authors the blog Paint Daily Texas.

Mark Nesmith’s work is heavily influenced by the Southeast Texas landscape where he grew up. He has stated that the southern landscape is “like a memory or dream in solid form. “ In particular Nesmith cites being influenced by the “intense, southern light that rakes across the landscape. Landscape artists have always loved the light of the Golden Hour, that time early in the morning after sunrise or shortly before sunset, when the light takes on an almost magical quality and drags across the landscape leaving long, lazy shadows and unifying everything with a warm glow. That time seems to be more pronounced here.” (Coughlan, Issue, October 2014)

The use of thick impasto paint, expressive brush strokes, and heightened color are unifying traits throughout his work. Writing for Empty Easel, Cassie Rief states “Impressionistic. Textured. Layered. Mark Nesmith’s oil paintings have the drama of all three, with one last surprising element: a wonderful stillness derived from his choice in subject matter.” (Rief, www.emptyeasel.com, March 18, 2015.)

Nesmith has been included in exhibitions at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, the Museum of East Texas, and the Dishman Museum, and has shown work in solo and group exhibitions in galleries throughout the southern United States. His work is included in private and public collections in 32 states in the U.S.A., and overseas in Singapore. Notable collections include the Longview Museum of Art, the Dishman Art Museum, Grant Thornton LLP in Dallas, TX and Kansas City, MO, The Honorable Ron Clark, Chief Judge U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Verabank, and the Lone Survivor Foundation.

As a musician Mark has performed throughout the southern United States at venues large and small including the Levitt Pavilion in Arlington, TX, the Dallas House of Blues, and Remington Park Casino in Oklahoma City, OK. He has appeared on the King of the Road show on Fox 4 KBTV and the CW, and his music and interviews have been broadcast on FNTX Radio, FM 91.3 KVLU, Cellblock Radio, and FM 89.3 KNON.