Colorful painting of a city street. Buildings along the top left corner and along the right side. Lots of trees and bushes.

Born in America's heartland, Mark Wilkens' passion for nature and the environment blossomed in the sun-drenched countryside of the Iowan farmlands. Largely self taught, Mark's days were devoted to painting and sketching the vistas of his youth. Upon high school graduation, Mark studied at universities in Iowa, Arizona and South Dakota culminated in a year-long apprenticeship with the renowned Native American artist, Oscar Howe. After, Mark established a studio in Florida. He continued to paint, completing commissions for clients throughout the United States for the next ten years. Longing once again for the Midwest's change of seasons, in 1990 Mark chose Michigan's beautiful shoreline and natural resources upon which to make his new creative home.