Mark Myers

Mark Richard Myers was born in San Mateo, California in 1945. His early education was in San Mateo and Hong Kong. He received a BA with honors in Maritime History at Pomona College in 1967. Myers is basically a self-taught artist who received technical and research assistance from the staff of the San Francisco Maritime Museum. His extraordinary ability to paint sea, sky and ships stems from his seafaring experience. Myers sailed under Captain Alan Villiers in the brig GRETHE and the bark WANDIA in 1965. He sailed the California and Mexican coast in the schooner TE VEGA. In 1968, Myers joined the replica ketch NONSUCH built in Appledore, Devon, first working as rigger, later as boatswain and acting mate for two years sailing ultimately to Canada. Myers moved to the North Cornish Coast near Devon in 1971. He is married and has two daughters.

Elected to the Royal Society of Marine Artists in 1975 in England Myers is the first American to belong to this prestigious forty-member group., In 1978 he was elected Honorary Secretary of the RSMA. The same year he became a charter member of the American Society of Marine Artists. In 1979, Myers became a fellow in the ASMA. He was elected a member of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists in 1983. He was recently elected President of Royal Society of Marine Artists.

Myers' work is in collections of the National Maritime Museum, San Francisco; National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England; South Street Seaport Museum, New York; North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore, England; the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Broadlands, Hampshire and H.R.H. The Prince Of Wales, Highgrove House.

His larger limited edition prints include "The Lynmouth Lifeboat"; "Departure of the Tygress,” "HMS KELLY at Namsos, 1940;" "Drake's Return to Plymouth. 1580; ""Appledore Quay; "Bideford Quay” and "Sailing Ships," a set of 12 vignettes; "Fighting Sail", a set of 6 frigate actions; "A Voyage in the: CUTTY SARK", a set of 4 prints; and "Working Sail", 6 calendar subjects for BP Marine International.

Mark illustrated Seamanship in the Age of Sail by John Harland, published by the US naval Institute Press, 1984; My Favourite Sea Stories by Allan Villiers, The Passage Makers by Michael Stammers, jacket covers for about ten books by Alan Villiers, Scott Newhall and Captain George Spiers. Myers has done commissioned work for National Geographic Magazine, Sail Magazine and Yachting Monthly.

Mark Myers has biographical entries in Who's Who in Art (United Kingdom edition), Twentieth Century British Marine Painting, Denys Brook-Hart and the Dictionary of Sea Painters, E.H.H. Archibald.