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Mark Whitcombe (April 24th, 1942 - October 24th, 2015)

Dear site visitors and friends of the Whitcombe W​orld Community,

On October 24th, 2015, a good friend and visionary artist, Mark Whitcombe, passed away. He was among loved ones and he will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife, Tibby, daughter, Alexandra and grandson, Sebastian. His heart and soul was captured on the canvas and etching p​late, along with a multitude of other surfaces and mediums. This site and the rest of the Wonderful World of Mark Whitcombe will continue to thrive and be available to the rich and growing community that has​ been deeply affected by both this man and his craft.

Whitcombe's artistry is the product of a very practiced imagination and dedication to detail- a place where childlike dreams come out to play without restraint. Each piece is like an illustration belonging to a story that has yet to be read aloud. Mark has a particular fondness and a knack for storytelling and abstract observation. 

For the large majority of his life and career, Mark worked from his home on City Island, NY. Tibby, his wife and often artistic muse, has always been a deeply inv​olved and dedicated part​ner and support system. She appears in and has inspired so many of his works. 

 

Read more about Mark's life here.

For myself, ever since I was a child, Mark's work (most especially his etchings) has captivated my attention and filled my own imagination. I can remember spending countless hours, going from room to room of our house in the Bronx ​staring into the different dreamscapes of Mr. Whitcombe's world. I would make up my own stories about them and tell them to my younger siblings. Today, I use them to inspire creative writing among my students in my classroom and to engage visitors on my website dedicated to Mark Whitcombe's work, imagination and legacy.

Mark, my friend, thank you for your vision, your imagination and spirit.

Always,

Travis (Teacher & Creator of Whitcombe World)

The back of many of his purchased works contains a short biography: "Born in Sydney, Australia in 1942, Mark Whitcombe came to the United States in 1953, where he attended Music & Art High School in NYC, and then studied at the Art Student League, the New School, and Cooper Union in Manhattan. He has been living and working on City Island in New York City (at the foot of Long Island Sound) for the better part of his life now. Mark is best-known for his nautical, which are often surreal as well, paintings and etchings. His etching work alone numbers well near one thousand different plates, and are in numerous private and public collections, i.e., Ethel Kennedy, Rod Stewart, Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC, Library of Congress Wash. D.C., Arizona State University Art Museum, and World Federation of United Nations Assoc. to name a few. He has won many awards such as 1st prize in Graphics, Salmagundi Club, NYC, and has been in many publications."

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