Mark Sauck is an artist with over 25 years experience, primarily as a commercial artist in Chicago.  His clientele extended around the world.  However, he was not satisfied with this, as it took him away from the art that he loved, art that depicts the country where he was raised.

Mark Sauck’s love for the country and family farms comes through in his art.  Born in South Dakota, he spent his summers as a youth on his aunt and uncle’s dairy farm in southwestern Minnesota.  Growing up during the summers of the 1950’s and the 1960’s on a family farm, he gained an understanding of the love of the land that the American farmer had.

“My reason for doing this art is to depict one element of the family farm--the building, in particular, the barn.  These buildings are from an American culture that is disappearing.  The type of farms that were common in the Midwest are now almost gone.  I have many who farmed in my family tree, and now there are one or maybe two.  These farms are much different from those that were common when I was a boy.”

“I wanted to do a series of paintings depicting rural life.  The old structures are fast disappearing from America’s landscape, being torn down for urban sprawl or just falling into neglect.  The barns I’ve painted are actual barns that still exist, or are gone.  All have stories to tell.”