Mark Heine
Master | Instructor | Mentor
I am a storyteller. My art is the expression of a carefully chosen moment, captured from a larger narrative. This story is constantly playing, moving forward and changing, as each painting alters the course of the narrative. As it ignites my imagination for the next. So the road is never a straight line.
I believe that artistic growth is directly bound to the challenge we undertake. The larger the risk, the greater the reward. So how winding the creative road is, will depend on how far from a straight line you’re willing to push yourself. For me, the story is what I use to navigate that road – stories rooted in both my imagination and my experience. They give me a reason to paint … a concept. They give the painting a reason to exist beyond the surface visual. Sometimes the journey is loud, long and nerve wracking. Sometimes it’s short and quiet. Even tranquil.
My writing has evolved, from simple anecdotes of my life, into the driving force of my creative process and how I connect to my subconscious. Using the anonymity of the story, I can explore and express my own joys and nightmares, pushing the edge of my comfort zone. It’s the creative license that allows me to diverge from reality and present a sur real vision. It also gives me the freedom to explore darker themes. And the more I dip below the surface, the more I dis cover in myself. It’s an endless source of inspiration, because each visit opens a door to the next.
The human form is, in my opinion, the most difficult and most complex challenge for an artist. Underpinning that challenge, are the technical considerations that face every artist. But the overlay, for me, is the most interesting aspect. And that comes from the nature of human interaction.
As humans, we have developed acutely tuned conscious and subconscious sensitivities to body language, posture, expression and situation. How we interact with each other is crucial to survival and is at the core of all culture. I call this the Social Aspect. These Social Aspect instincts vary from person to person, depending on his or her experiences, upbringing, religious beliefs, personal joys and pain. This diversity creates a reaction as personally distinct as a strand of DNA. I see this Social Aspect complexity as a unlimited, mysterious resource for reaching deeper and connecting with my emotions and those of my audience. And with figurative painting in particular, because it is “us,” these connections are critical if the work is to resonate.
READ MORE
There are those who say that originality is dead. That all is derivative. I disagree. I think that originality is everywhere, albeit in widely varying degrees. I believe that my art is original. Certainly I have had influences, as has every artist. In particular, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Vermeer and Rembrandt, through Degas, Monet, Rodin, Sargent, Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth to Robert Heindel, Bob Peak, Brian Johnson, my father Harry Heine, and my friend Brent Lynch. All have provided me with some tool or inspiration, but in the end, my way is my own.
So this is where I am. The paintings I have done and the stories I have told, are where I have been. The interesting thing, from my point of view, is where I’m going. And that’s the story yet to be told. That’s my mission.
This Mastermind+ is for
Emerging Artists
What Is An Emerging Artist?
You’ve taken workshops/courses and have already been selling your work to friends, family, and in community shows, markets and beyond.
Now you’re ready to take it to the next level!
YOU’RE INTERESTED IN:
- art critiques - getting expert feedback on your artwork
- selling - learn how to sell your artwork
- pricing
- building your brand and marketing, leveraging social media well
- earning a steady income in an unsteady economy
- how to approach galleries and/or go solo successfully
- business skills - learn the mechanics of creating and sustaining a business as an artist
- production - studio set-up and time management to maximize production
- art licensing - what products to create, how to find a reputable producer
CHOOSE YOUR GROUP
TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN A NEW GROUP LAUNCHES, JOIN THE ARTISTS’ NETWORK BELOW!
Emerging Artist
Mastermind+ Subscription- Starts Wednesday, January 27th, 2021
- 7pm to 9pm MT (9pm to 11pm ET)
- Then, every 4th Wednesday of every month thereafter
- 2 HOUR videoconference session every month
- TRUSTED small group of 8 Emerging Artists
- MASTER ARTIST of your choice. Pick a new Master every 6 months!
- NAVIGATOR permanently assigned to your group to facilitate, guide and support
- CONNECT between sessions via private chat forum
- ART CRITIQUES take your artwork from good to exceptional with direct feedback.
- BUSINESS ADVICE on: creating and sustaining a business as an artist, building your brand and marketing, how to approach galleries and/or go solo successfully, studio set-up and time management to maximize production, art licensing, and more!
- APPRENTICESHIP BADGE for your CV. Awarded upon completion of 1 year in any Emerging Artist Mastermind Group(s)!
About The Artist

Originality… easily recognized, but elusive to achieve.
To conjure something from nothing is the act of creativity, no matter the medium. I’m thirty seven years down the rabbit hole, and still descending. My life has been spent building a mental vocabulary to first visualize, then the physical ability to realize. Finally comes the passion, embracing a cause and using my skills to champion positive social change.
Mark Heine was raised by artists to be an artist. His was a childhood spent wandering his father’s massive warehouse studio, absorbing the progress and process of the monumental projects underway. It was art by the ton, measured in yards, not inches. There were always diverse skills in action, to watch and learn from… sculptors, designers, architects and artisans, working in plaster, resin, concrete, fiberglass, wood, stained glass, tapestry and, of course, paint.
Mark’s father, Harry Heine, RSMA, CSMA, FCA, NNWWs (1928-2004), would eventually became one of Canada’s most celebrated artists, culminating with his election to the Royal Society of Marine Artists in England. He is the only Canadian to ever have achieved that status.
As a child, Mark and his family toured and sketched the great cities of the world, immersed in galleries and architecture. First as students, then eventually as instructors. From the masters, learning the learnable… technique, color, composition, and so on, but also developing the sensitivity to recognize the intangible conceptual aspects, which make the difference between a mere rendering and a work of art.
In his teens, Heine was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Art Scholarship, eventually graduating with honors from the Applied Arts Program at Capilano University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He established his own studio and, over the course of 37 years, has become one of North America’s most sought-after talents, working through agents and galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver, where he has been showing with some of the most recognized artists in North America. His work can also be found in galleries and collections throughout Europe, including the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, Spain. Corporate commissions for clients such as Sony, Disney, Starbucks, and many others garnered him more than 40 national and international awards, and the Art Renewal Center recently designated him an Associate Living Master. Heine’s work has also appeared in numerous print and online publications, including the magazines Hi-Fructose, Beautiful Bizarre, Magazin’Art, Applied Arts, American Art Collector, International Artist, The Guide Artist, Poets and Artists, The Artist’s Magazine, and The Creators Project.
Heine has come to realize that he is a storyteller. Writing has long been a key component of his creative process, and the symbiotic relationship of these two distinct disciplines has led to a unique approach to both. Bringing one of those stories to life – to larger than life – marrying fiction to painting, is the focus of his most recent works: the Sirens series. Each of his paintings
is a captured moment in his coming Sirens book, a work of fiction in the genre of imaginative realism.
Mark, his wife and creative collaborator Lisa Leighton, and their two daughters, Sarah and Charlotte, live in beautiful Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Be the First to Know!
When you join the Artists' Network you'll get FIRST DIBS on all NEW Mastermind Groups.
You'll also, receive helpful advice, articles and book suggestions to help you level-up your talent.
WHAT to expect...
Advice, Training & Mentorship by a Master Artist + Peer-to-Peer Learning in a Trusted Small Group

2-hour monthly
videoconference meeting with MASTER ARTIST & NAVIGATOR & small group

Practice-based HOMEWORK
& ACCOUNTABILITY

INFORMATIVE & HONEST conversation

Navigator permanently assigned to your group, accountable for your growth trajectory

CONFIDENTIAL discussion board & access to all session RECORDINGS

Travel with a new Master every 3-6 months to bring NEW EXPERTISE & SKILL TRAINING

What is LevellingUp?
Many of us feel like we’re “going it alone” in our relationships & careers, and we’re looking for people to join us on our journey, for community and support.
By combining interactive coaching, mentorship and collaborative community, LevellingUp offers a unique, powerful and affordable opportunity for growing professionals like you to secure success and experience joy.