Artist's Biography

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The Beginning
I was born in New Haven, CT. in 1962 and lived in the area until I left to join the military in 1980. As a kid, I enjoyed drawing and actually drew quite a bit. My family lived in a lower middle class Italian neighborhood, which made life very interesting for the only German kid on the block.

My First Inspiration
At about 14 years old, I was with my mom at a bookstore, when I saw this really different kind of book. The book was "The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta" and it changed my life. I must have used an entire year's allowance to pay for it, but once I had it, I devoured it. Mr. Frazetta showed me that art could be anything the artist wanted it to be. You see, I had never been to an art museum. So, to me, art was stuffy old portraits I had seen on TV. When I drew, I really didn't consider it art. It was just drawing to me and it was easy. But these Frazetta masterpieces were different. Hell, this guy had his own book and he wasn't even dead yet! This was a big deal.

Art Or Air Force
So, I kept drawing and more and more people knew me for this unique talent. One day one of the few teachers I admired, an art teacher in high school, started raving about my drawings and asked if I had plans to go to art school. I said no, but if it involved not seeing any math again, I was interested. So, I took this idea and approached my parents that evening. I don't think I had finished the last sentence of my proposal for a second, before I heard the simple response of "NO". I was then told that art was not a real job and that they were not going to pay for a school that taught, what they considered a hobby. So, I joined the Air Force to learn a trade, see the world and began my new life.

The Spark
It wasn't until the late 1980's, while I was living in Denver that the spark caught a breeze and started burning. I had been drawing on a pad which was on my desk at work. I worked for a large aerospace company as an antenna test technician. These tests often required weeks of setup and then weeks of data collection. It was during the collection periods that I would draw. As this desk pad filled up with my drawings, people started complimenting me on the quality and asked if I took commissions.

Wildlife/Animal Paintings
So, I taught myself how to draw by buying some black pastel pencils and teaching myself how to handle "Light" and its effects. My subject matter was primarily wildlife and commissions of friends' pets. I worked in black and white for about a year or two, until I felt I was ready for color. Working in color was a great new world for me and I easily adapted and applied what I had taught myself during my black and white period.

A Dark Time
Then the Soviet Union fell and flipped my world upside down. You see, I worked for a defense contractor and without a good strong enemy there isn't much work. I survived all the layoffs by accepting a one year temporary transfer to Cape Canaveral, Florida, where they still had work launching rockets. I really liked Florida and drew a lot of seabirds, big game fish and even had a small show at a local gallery. But as quickly as that year came, it went and soon I was looking at going back to Denver with no work on the horizon. Add to that, most of my friends had also left Denver during this year, due to the job cuts. It was a really dark time for me.

The Switch To Acrylics
Then I heard that a division of my company, in central New Jersey, was looking for technicians. So in 1992, I applied, got the job and moved back east. It was good to get back to the New York area and I quickly began making trips into the city to catch up. Soon enough, I was hooked and switched my painting subject matter from wildlife to the streets of New York City. At this time, I also grew bored with pastels and at the suggestion of some friends, I switched to acrylics.

Low Life
I was also deeply inspired by a book written by Luc Sante, called "Low Life". This book described the great history of the city's ghettos and gangs from the nineteenth century and is in my opinion, one of the best books ever written on the city's history.

New York City's Dark Side
The early 90's were a turbulent period for New York City, as crime was out of control. I found this fascinating and wondered why there were no paintings of any of these bad areas. These are the parts of the city that people love. Just look at all the movies and TV shows based there. So with this in mind, I decided to represent the darker, more dangerous areas, but with respect. I show these places as they really are, with no politics or social messages embedded into the work.

How I Work
All of my paintings are painted from small photographs that I personally took. This eliminates any possible ownership issues that might come up when using other photographers' work. Besides, I feel very strongly that I would not be able to recreate the scene without experiencing it in person. And while I do use the photographs, I don't project the image onto the canvas or use any sort of grids.

Recognition
Since I have begun this series, I have had some great successes. The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, The New York Historical Society, The Museum of the City of New York and the New York City Fire Museum have all acquired paintings of mine for their respective permanent collections. In August, 2001, American Artist Magazine published a feature article on my work, which really gave me much needed exposure. I also compete often in club exhibitions throughout New York City and around the country and even get accepted occasionally. I am a proud member of The National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylics, Allied Artists of America and The Hudson Valley Art Association and can't thank them enough for their support. I also thank the firefighters from the New York City Fire Department (especially Engine Co. 5), for their cooperation in allowing me to get the photographs I need.

Today
Today, I live in southern New Hampshire, as my company transferred me again in late 1997. Luckily, it's still close enough to where I can get back into the city on a regular basis. I guess you could say, that I still paint as a hobby, as I paint at night and on weekends, around my day job.

True To Myself
I have had virtually no commercial success, as I really don't produce enough work for a gallery to make the kind of money they expect. On a good year, I might paint 8 paintings, but the average has been 5. Many people often ask why I don't quit my day job and pursue my art full time. My answer to that is, that I currently enjoy being able to work the way I want, when I want. Having this freedom is important to me because it allows ME to determine, when a painting is complete and not the almighty dollar. Besides, I have held my aerospace job for over 20 years now and it's not that easy to just quit.

History
Today, many of the places I have painted are long gone due to progress. New York City is changing faster than I can paint and soon my contemporary series will become retrospective. This adds special value to the work, as it keeps these places alive for people to remember and enjoy for a long, long time.

Thanks
Finally, I would like to take a few moments to thank my parents (who are now great supporters), the rest of my family, all of my friends, American Artist Magazine, Artist Magazine, The Museum of the City of New York, The New York Fire Museum, the New York Historical Society and The Butler Institute of American Art and their respective staffs, who have been instrumental in supporting my efforts and everyone else who took a chance on me when nobody else would. Thanks.

Marc Winnat, Artist

Contact:
Marc Winnat
P.O. Box 1121
Merrimack, NH 03054
grizz@lycos.com

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