Mark Susinno was born in Washington, DC in 1957 and grew up in the nearby Maryland suburbs. Encouraged by his mother Marie, who was herself an artist, sculptor, and jeweler, he attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, receiving a BFA in painting in 1979. After moving back to Maryland from Brooklyn in the early 1980s, his brother Byron began taking him fly fishing for trout and light tackle fishing for bass. Around the same time, at the suggestion of his brother, Susinno began entering waterfowl and trout stamp contests, eventually winning his first in 1985. The 1986 Maryland Trout Stamp was the first of 22 fishing stamps he has designed, mostly through competitions but some by invitation.
Susinno decided to begin painting full time in 1986. He sustained himself by entering contests and self-publishing limited edition prints of his paintings. In 1987, through a connection at Trout Unlimited, Mark signed on to have his prints published by Wild Wings. Since then, Mark has published more than 60 limited edition prints. His original paintings are available through galleries that specialize in sporting art, such as Collectors Covey in Dallas, Texas; Sportsman’s Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina; Paderewski Fine Art Gallery in Beaver Creek, Colorado; and J. Russell Jinishian Gallery in Fairfield, Connecticut. He has also been a regular participant in the Western Visions show held by the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
In 2012, Susinno was inducted as a “Legendary Artist” by the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, WI. Though he focused primarily on fresh water subjects early in his career, today his output is split about evenly between fresh water and salt water subjects, often with a fly fishing theme. Susinno has been a member of the Society of Animal Artists since 1994 and exhibits regularly in its Annual Exhibitions, garnering a number of awards including the SAA’s prestigious Award of Excellence. Since 2005, he has been a member of American Mensa.
Primary Medium: Oil or acrylic on linen canvas
Phone: 717-540-0406
Email: [email protected]
