Mark Hoffmann for Cooking Light

Not an easy task, illustrating a story about love, loss, and fruit salad. The author and copy director for Cooking Light, Susan Roberts McWilliams, "wanted the article to have a lot of hope and thankfulness to it." Mark Hoffmann's illustration was the perfect compliment to this touching story about how we respond with food when someone loses a loved one.

Delight in the details and composition of these richly painted down-home pieces. Feature art directed by Sheri Wilson and 2015 winner of the SPD merit award for Single/Spread Illustration in the Lifestyle, Travel/Food/Shelter category.

SPD merit award for Single/Spread Illustration

Love, Loss & Fruit Salad

Friends, Family and Casserole

Pot Pie With Love

Home is Where the Slow Cooker Is

See more of Mark Hoffmann's whimsical lettering and illustration.

Mark Hoffmann for The Square Magazine

Mark Hoffmann, New Hampshire resident and illustrator, knows there is nothing better on a nice summer day than some fresh fish on the waterfront. Chip Allen, art director of The Square Magazine and Meganne Febrega, author of the article "Hit the Decks" knew Mark's folk art style would capture the scene perfectly.  

Hit the Decks by Mark Hoffmann

With Mark's distinctive lettering, whimsical imagery and sophisticated color palette used to highlight the premier eateries, you will want to book one more road trip this summer--I certainly did!

Local Restaurants illustrated by Mark Hoffmann

See more of Mark Hoffmann's work. Mark is represented by i2i Art Inc.

Mark Hoffmann for D Magazine

Will your kids be happy campers this summer? From Spanish immersion to paleontology camp, D Magazine handpicked some of the most exciting options in the Dallas, TX area. All that was needed was a terrific illustration to draw the reader in.  

Art director, Jamie Laubhan-Oliver, decided on Mark Hoffmann for the job. Mark let his imagination lead the way, resulting in this playful, folksy piece that is sure to put a smile on your face as you remember those long days of summer past.

Browse Mark Hoffmann's portfolio on i2i Art.

Mark Hoffmann's Mural at the Montserrat Gallery

The exhibition SEVEN: A Peformative Drawing Project at the Montserrat Gallery was a perfect opportunity for illustrator Mark Hoffmann to spread his creative wings even further. Mark, along with six other artists, put their creative process on display by executing a large mural on one of the gallery's walls in an open studio environment. The mural itself was meant to be the "residue of an artistic performance." We found both the process and the final product pretty spectacular.  

Mark Hoffmann's 'Men of Mountains' Mural

 Close up of Mark Hoffmann's lettering

We chatted with Mark Hoffmann after the show...

i2i Art: How were you approached with this project?

Mark: Leonie Bradbury (the gallery director at Montserrat College of Art, where I teach) contacted me in the fall to see if I had any interest.  They usually try to get one faculty member involved and thought I would be a good fit with the other artists.

i2i Art: Was this your first mural?

Mark: Yes, and it was quite overwhelming.

i2i Art: Tell us about the piece.  What was your inspiration?

Mark: I really wanted to paint a giant horse and started to research. Somehow I ended up reading about the early exploration of what would later become the first national park of the U.S., Yellowstone. In my research I found the story of the Cook, Folsom, Peterson expedition to explore and survey the land. I thought this might make a fun image with them, a horse, and geysers. I also had a previous color palette worked out that I wanted to apply to the piece.

i2i Art: What was it like working on that scale?

Mark: Difficult. It's hard to get a sense of the scale until it is right in front of you. I found that I had to stand back and look at it a lot, otherwise I wouldn't take the scale into full consideration.

i2i Art: The gallery was open while you were working on the piece, tell us about the atmosphere.

Mark: As I was working, quite a few folks stopped in to look, but very few chatted with me. They later told me they were afraid to interrupt. I must look deep in thought when I paint. It was nice to have the freedom to paint and explore at that scale and really knock people over with an image.

i2i Art: Do you have any tips, tricks or lessons learned you want to share?

Mark:  I realized that some of the techniques I planned to use are hard on that scale and surface. Use a paint with primer in it (I used house paints) so you don't have to apply it twice to get good coverage. Bring plenty of Aleve and Tylenol, the work can be a little back breaking.

Hyperlapse: Watch Mark Hoffmann's mural come to life

http://youtu.be/RNxRIeZmY-Y

On view through March 28, 2015 at the Montserrat Gallery.

Mark Hoffmann offers a playfulness to his americana, folk art style.  View Mark's entire portfolio.

The Year of You: Mark Hoffmann for D Magazine

Did you make a resolution this year?  If not, you still can! How about, "prepare to become the most interesting person you know"?  That was the inspiration for Mark Hoffmann's latest commission for D Magazine.  Art director, Jamie Laubhan-Oliver took advantage of Mark's amazing lettering and whimsical style for the article The Year of You which outlines a long list of cool classes available in Dallas, TX for those ready to learn something new.  

So whether your passion is art and photography, fitness and dance or just "making something", check out what's offered in your neighborhood and become just a little more interesting in 2015.

Get inspired by Mark Hoffmann, visit his online portfolio today.

Mark Hoffmann for D Home Magazine

Ever found your kid hanging from a candelabra or climbing a giant holiday decoration?  In his best playful style, Mark Hoffmann illustrated the story Babes in Toyland:  Activities that will make your kids' holiday season more merryfor art director Jamie Laubhan-Oliver, at D Home Magazine. If you like this image, there are a lot more fun Mark Hoffmann illustrations here.

©Mark Hoffmann_MH447_i2iArt

Mark Hoffmann for Land of Nod

These very cool images by Mark Hoffmann are now available in framed prints!  Land of Nod invites you to "Give your walls a tune up with this automotive wall art. Each print features a classic vehicle exclusively illustrated for us by artist Mark Hoffman and is framed in a distressed wood frame for a vintage feel." So whether it's a little kid (or big), who would love to have these unique limited edition prints, visit Land of Nod's online store here to purchase them.

Bus

Truck

Police Car

Convertible

i2i Art Inc. is proud to represent Mark Hoffmann and we'd love you to see his entire portfolio here.

Prepared to be Delighted by Mark Hoffmann, Illustrator

Recently we shared some of Mark Hoffmann's new work and the response was fantastic!  We didn’t want anyone to miss out on his brilliant illustrations. Check out Mark Hoffmann's portfolio, get inspired and commission an illustration by this super talented illustrator!

Mark Hoffmann: 3x3 Illlustration Directory

Mark Hoffmann's Cap'n Weird Beard included in the 2014 3x3 Illustration Directory.  Always a furtive imagination and a primitive gift for bringing his ideas to life!  You'll see plenty more to amuse by visiting his updated portfolio here.

Mark Hoffmann: Re-Styles the Bouffant

This sample puts me in mind of summer weddings and bridesmaids.  It's all about the 'Do'!  With all the usual softness and subtlety in his patterning and palette Mark Hoffmann shares one of his usual delightfully fun observations.  To see more of Mark's witty art check out his updated portfolio here.

Mark Hoffmann: Love - Love

Mark Hoffmann has a quirky sense of humor and an uncanny way of communicating his ideas--often in a word or two!  To see more of what he has to say with his fun (if not irreverent) conceptual art, take a peek at his updated portfolio here.

Mark Hoffman for D Magazine

For an article in D Magazine about "growing up in a town that is no longer there", Mark Hoffman created this conceptual illustration depicting the houses as haunting shells with a foreboding sky that further sets the mood for West, Texas, as a Ghost Town.  Mark's primitive art style has a dream-like quality perfect for the way the story is told through childhood memories.  To see more of Mark's evocative conceptual art, visit his updated portfolio here.

Ghost Town by Mark Hoffmann

©Mark Hoffmann_MH399_i2iArt

Mark Hoffmann: Enormous Tiny Art Show #13

Mark Hoffmann has been having big fun creating smallish art for the Enormous Tiny Art Show #13!  His naive visual vocabulary is, as always, full of wit with an underlying deeper wisdom.  Of his art, Mark says, "The work is meant to be perfect through its imperfections. The boards I paint on are warped and frayed around the edges. Perspectives, proportions, compositions and colors are intentionally left awkward to add to the conversation."

The show runs from February 1-25.  Check out the huge selection of art (no larger than 10″ x 10″) for sale at very reasonable prices here.  Better move fast because some have already sold before the sale has officially begun!

If you're local attend the opening at the Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Friday February 1st, 5-8pm.

Here are a few of our faves from the featured Mark Hoffmann collection:

Enormous Tiny Art Show paintings ©Mark Hoffmann/i2iart

Mark Hoffmann in Enormous Tiny Art Show!

'Long Gone' illustration ©Mark Hoffmann

'Over Out' illustration ©Mark Hoffmann

Size does matter in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from September 7th to October 1st, where the 12th Enormous Tiny Art Show is underway.  A huge selection of tiny pieces of art (no larger than 10" x 10"), from artists around the world, are on display at the Nahcotta Gallery and online here.  The first biannual Enormous Tiny Art Show opened in the winter of 2007 and not surprisingly has an enormous following!  The organizers' goal is to share their love of art and make it accessible to everyone.   As a first time exhibitor in this fall show, Mark Hoffmann says he has already begun preparing more tiny art for the upcoming winter show.  Below are a few of our favorites from the twelve (almost sold out) pieces Mark has in the show.  We're with the ETAS peeps in their exclamation, "Viva la tiny art!".