Insiders’ Creative Couples: Cissy Smith Marks And Paul Marks

By Judith Jenya

Cissy, a Cincinnati native who has lived in both San Miguel and Baltimore for the past 20 years is an instinctive painter. Having studied first at Parson’s School of Design in NYC and getting a BFA at the Maryland Institute of Art, she worked as a fashion illustrator. She married Paul in 1981, had a child years later and started painting at age 45.

Cissy paints from her heart using brilliancy, vibrancy of color, interplay of negative and positive space to create images that dance on the wall.  She uses acrylics and water based oils, drawing quickly and directly with colors that are intensive and lively. She loves painting flowers, cacti, figures, and also landscapes and street scenes. She does many plein-aire paintings and often finishes these in a couple of hours.

Cissy is also a sought-after painting teacher now teaching classes out of her studio. She teaches her students to paint the natural form. She often creates a set-up such as a still life, takes a photo to flatten it to two-dimensions. She first teaches big shapes, angles and then curves, all the while using bold strokes and deep color. She teaches in two or three week sessions, and will offer one in March starting on the 10th.  Her works are in many collections and have been in major shows in New York and Baltimore, as well as San Miguel. She is represented by Edna Sagert Gallery in the Fabrica La Aurora.

Paul Marks is an architect and painter. He is a very youthful, energetic 86 years old. He began his life near Chicago then moved to Cincinnati to study architecture. During this time, he had many artist friends because the two programs were intertwined. He loved to draw and continues that practice. He moved to Baltimore to work with a large architecture firm but quit after 6 months to open his own firm with a friend. He was in business with that firm for 50 years before retiring. He met his wife Cissy in 1978 when he was 40 and she 24.

He began painting seriously in 2000. They came to San Miguel that year because they heard it was an artist colony. They bought a house on Cardo where they each paint and teach. They work in the same space and often comment on each other's work. Paul teaches drawing and painting and describes his own painting as impressionist/expressionist, looking at mood and light. He uses watercolor in a plein-aire loose water color style. His emphasis is on color and making a quick impression in color. He wants his students to breakout of the tightness of perspective which he also teaches, and to share his art process and then find their own. Like his Cissy he takes a keen interest in his students and their progress.  Paul teaches in Feb, March, October and November in San Miguel. They travel annually to Jamaica for 2 weeks to paint, spend 3 ½ months in Baltimore in the beautiful house he designed, 8 months in San Miguel and sometimes a trip to Europe.

Both Cissy and Paul together with Jennifer Moran photographer are showing Berlín Bar and Bistro, running through May 31. More information on Cissy’s classes and those of her husband, Paul can be found at www.smith-marks.com

If you want to suggest a couple that both are involved in their own creative process, for a future column please send an email at judith58sma@gmail.com