Interviews and Insights
So we say Farewell to Morgan in Morecambe 👋, and Welcome 🙌 to May’s interviewee. I met our hero, Mark Hilsden, in his mentorship role on Crista Cloutier’s Working Artist Academy which is recently completed. His is a compelling story of triumph over adversity in true fairytale style. So do read on!…
Appleby Castle, Appleby in Westmorland, Cumbria
Mark is 64 and married to Phil Hilsden. The two artists can be found at Colour Makers House, in Appleby-in-Westmoreland, Cumbria. Situated in the Eden Valley, surrounded by the Yorkshire Dales to the south, the Lake District to the west, and the North Pennines to the east, the town is a hidden historical jewel.
Mark’s work focusses on “curiosity, wonderment, and how the natural world has shaped man’s ingenuity”.
Inspired by his family weekend walks, when his mother would enquire as they passed old buildings, “I wonder who lives there and what they do?”…
Mark says “For over 30 years, I have made hundreds of drawings of vernacular period buildings, most of which have been commissioned; creating axiomatic maps, and pigment making”.
Two further influences helped to form Mark’s life: “My school music teacher, Colin Newberry, encouraged me to follow my dreams with all the twists and turns. Crista Cloutier* showed me a way to develop my path, when we were struggling with homelessness and other challenges, by building community.”
How did Mark’s work develop out of that? “We moved to Appleby, created an art gallery out of an empty shop, selling art materials and making pigments, and then moved into an old 17th century building across the road that had been empty for twenty years or so.”
Mark makes it all sound so easy, but only those who have experienced homelessness can have any idea of what Hope can lead to. Crista and Colin could see the future that Mark’s multiple talents could fashion.
Mark says
“ For several years, I taught classes on pen and ink drawings of houses, which led to a residential course at Higham Hall.
Today we offer specialist workshops in historic pigment-making at our studios.”
”I’ve self-published a couple of books with a couple more in progress. And just recently had a couple of feature articles in local publications, as well as sharing our story as artists on the BBC”.
[Ed.] How often are you able to be in your studio space and what is it like? Freezing garret or wonderfully-lit atelier?
”We have my studio, gallery, pigment shop, and workshop, all in a medieval building that was rebuilt a few years after the Civil War.
It has an unbelievable, grand, stately staircase. Most of the rooms have fairly low beams, working fireplaces and an old Victorian range. And Appleby is a very picturesque small border town, beneath the high North Pennine Fells.”
Ed] Do you have gallery representation or are you self-promoting?
“I don’t have gallery representation; we have had several solo and group exhibitions, self-promoting, but most of the artwork has been commissioned through direct marketing. A couple of years ago, one of the major commissions was creating illustrations, axiomatic maps and murals for the town we live in. Most of the work is through self-promotion, through news and feature articles, talks and demonstrations, and Direct Marketing.”
[Ed] What inspires and energizes you to do the work you do?
“ I love sharing and performing. My demonstrations, talks, and workshops are inspirational performances that tell stories of curiosity, inspiration, and transformation into the extraordinary. My 2-Dimensional artwork and writing are about the same.”
[Ed] And what have you in mind for the next 6 months?
”Over the last few years, I’ve been acutely aware that our town is struggling. It is a small, close-knit community; fortunately, most retailers are fairly resilient in the face of adversity.
I want to help the town survive by bringing more visitors from across the world, and I know we are doing this; we just need to do it on a larger scale. One of my plans is to develop what we do into an international Colour Makers Festival, which will attract artists and creatives from around the globe”.
Mark’s website is
Full details of his work, pigment-making courses, and more interior shots of the home he and Phil have made in Appleby are all there.
Maybe meet you there one day!
* Crista Cloutier FRSA is an American artist, now living in France. She champions art and artists around the world. Her inspirational courses and videos stimulate and inspire artists from Australia to Alaska and South Africa to the UK, and everywhere in between.
You can find out more at www. the working artist.com