BORN IN VANCOUVER IN 1953, MARK BEGAN DRAWING AS A YOUNG CHILD. A DEGREE IN BIOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA IN 1974 LED TO NINE YEARS OF TEACHING. HE THEN MOVED TO TOFINO AND WORKED AS A NATURALIST AT PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK UNTIL 1987, WHEN HE BEGAN PAINTING FULL TIME. MARK WORKS FROM A FLOATHOUSE STUDIO NEAR TOFINO. A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR PRESERVING THE WILDERNESS HE PAINTS, HE HAS DONATED MANY PAINTINGS AND MUCH OF HIS TIME TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES.