| Raw Inspiration: Mark Ashworth, an exhibition of works created between 2014 – 2025, features contemporary abstract paintings that capture a spontaneous and intuitive process with color, shapes, and lines. Ashworth notes, "My physical conversation with the canvas results in a fusion of stratum, primordial images, and random shapes, emphasizing the relationships between colors. Hints of botanical imagery and architecture add layers of depth to these modernism pieces."
From the age of four, Ashworth knew he wanted to be an artist. In high school he was introduced to oils, and has worked in the medium for over 50 years, creating impactful extravaganzas of color and design. Granted an art scholarship at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he found himself unchallenged by the program —so he moved to Los Angeles where a friend was studying at the California Institute of the Arts. It was after arriving in California that Mark felt he had finally found his home and artistic community. Soon he moved to San Francisco, studying under mentors such as Richard Shaw, Tom Holland, and Sam Tchakalian. It was there that he developed his current style.
From the raw inspiration, Mark works and reworks forms on the canvas—initially adding layers of shape and color, and then paring down this vibrant foundation with the liberal application of neutral negative space. Crafted with oil on canvas, texture is added to the paint with unconventional tools as a complement to the conventional brushstrokes.
The process is entirely emotional and instinctive, but the final result is the reconstruction of simplicity out of chaos, while maintaining an underlying sense of dynamic action and tension. The artist notes, "The evolution of these painting take months to resolve, a testament to my dedication to creating a perception of positive energy. Working on multiple pieces at a time, I strive for complexity while reaching for resolution."
Ashworth completed his work for a BFA from the San Francisco Arts Institute in 1976, and received his MFA, also from SFAI, in 1980. His paintings have been shown in exhibits throughout the west, including the Diego Rivera Gallery and SFMOMA Artists Gallery.
On the final day of the exhibition, Sun, June 28, beginning at 3:30 pm, Ashworth and Sanchez Art Center Curatorial Director Alida Bray will be in conversation in the Main Gallery.
Mark Ashworth
Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd in Pacifica, about a mile east of Highway 1. Following opening night, the galleries are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1–5 pm, and by appointment, through June 28.
The opening, talks, and gallery visits are free as part of the Center's focus on "Creating Community through Art".
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