Mark Gibson

Overwhelmingly when you view Mark Gibson’s pieces, themes of hope, resilience, beauty and nature surround you - as a sunrise peeks over Main Beach on the Gold Coast, the soft trickle of water as it cascades down into a rainforest pool and the dry heat of an outback scene encompass you.

Life hasn’t always been full of peace and tranquility for Mark, who struggled with alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to a serious motorcycle accident when he was younger.

“I had a motorcycle accident when I was in my late teens that stayed with me for a while, I got hit by a car and then was fearful of being around people, I found being in crowds and rooms with people very overwhelming and hard.”

“With the PTSD alcohol was my friend, then I went on a healing journey with yoga and meditation - but when I closed my eyes it was like a wave rolling, but it was all brown and black, like watching a cartoon fight with the characters, arms coming out of boxes and all sorts. It was like that.”

“I knew I had learning difficulties when I was younger but was gifted with making things with my hands. I had trouble counting, spelling and speech, so when I finally got the diagnosis at 45 years of age with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) I burst into tears – it was a shock,” Mark said.

Mark Gibson with two works he has completed during his time at Kookaburra Arts Studio

The diagnosis brought clarity for Mark, who was a long-term resident in the Bundaberg Region and when he made the move to the Gold Coast, new challenges presented themselves, but also new opportunities.

“When you move you sort of go backwards in life, but being part of an art group and making art has really helped with the anxiety, art has given me something to focus on and put my emotions into colour, it’s been a very big help.”

“I moved close to a Men’s Shed at Nerang and connected with the Choice, Passion, Life (CPL) branch at Southport. I started off making cardboard fish and painting and gluing buttons on and then met Diana who is a professional art teacher.”

Diana from Kookaburra Art Studio (an all-abilities art group) and Mark met as he was preparing for the Recovered Futures Art Exhibition two years ago and said he was very anxious and didn’t want to participate or put his work forward for consideration.

Mark's teacher Diana Peñaloza from Kookaburra Arts Studio

It took a year to build his confidence and for Mark to believe he could be an exhibiting artist. Recovered Futures ended up being the first large-scale public showing of his work.

“When I met Mark he was drawing simple objects and one simple shape, but I saw he had so much talent and had the capacity to do more, I began supporting Mark when we met at CPL, but then I started a home artist-studio that Mark now attends with other all-abilities artists,” Diana said.

“Working toward art exhibitions like Recovered Futures gives a purpose for painting and something to work towards and Mark has talent and does it for the love and from the heart and when he paints from the heart, the canvas does the talking.” Diana said.

Mark says that painting for exhibitions like Recovered Futures has given him hope.

“It’s given me hope and inspiration and I’m painting what I’m hoping to manifest in my life through my art,” Mark said.

“Now I just keep painting and doing what I’m doing – I can allow the difficulties to come and go without judgement and just be in the moment. Not worry about tomorrow or yesterday, just today, be grateful I got to wake up this morning. Art allows you to be in the moment and let the picture speak to you and enjoy what you’re doing. There is no stress, no one saying hurry up – it’s thoroughly enjoyable.”

“I think when you feel relaxed you take joy in the simple things in life-  like the wind on your face, you can stand on a leaf or something that will crunch and just being aware of the moment, just relaxing, not worrying about ‘gotta’ get bread, gotta’ get milk’ – the ocean is calming. I just like sitting watching the seagulls flying and watching the ocean coming in.”

Mark Gibson will be exhibiting as part of the 2024 Recovered Futures art exhibition with his works Beach Access and The New Day.

 Mark Gibson, Beach Access