Georgetown Arts & Culture

Mark Stalnaker is an artist living and creating in Georgetown, Texas. “Fine Lines” is an exhibit of recent works created with India ink on stretched canvas or paper in which, using dip pens and thin brushes, the artist creates finely detailed works that encourage the viewer to inspect closely.

His larger works begin with a lengthy canvas preparation. By applying multiple layers of gesso while thoroughly sanding between each application, eventually a very smooth, semi reflective surface is achieved. The sides of the stretched canvas are intentionally left undeveloped to provide contrast and a glimpse inside of the process.

Stalnaker records time lapse videos for many of the works to further show the creative process. His paintings typically begin with a photograph or series of photographs taken by the artist.

Stalnaker’s subject matter is varied and includes portraits, landscapes, and re-arranged still lifes, with recent works focusing on scenes from small Texas towns. While the themes in this exhibit are mixed, there is a common thread of style that runs throughout the pieces. Drawing a building’s windows in a cityscape is akin to scales on a fish or texture on a wall. Scenes are stripped to their essential components and are often portrayed using only black ink on a white background. Brushstrokes are not hidden, but rather they are used to emphasize that all art is an abstraction from reality. It is left to the interaction with the viewer to breathe life back into the works.