Mark Hearld was born in 1974. He studied illustration at Glasgow School of Art followed by an MA in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art. Godfrey & Watt gave Mark his first exhibition in 2001
​His work is based on his observations of the natural world, influenced by mid twentieth century Neo-Romanticism and the gaiety of 1930s Modernism. He is inspired by British artists such as Eric Ravilious, John Piper and Edward Bawden. Mark’s practice extends across painting, collage, ceramics, sculpture and print. His long-standing collaborations with Simon Lewin from St.Judes have extended to exclusive designs for wallpaper and fabrics.
In 2015 as part of a major refurbishment of York City Art Gallery Mark was commissioned to curate one of the new galleries, it proved so popular that ‘The Lumber Room’ remained open for 2 years. In 2018 Mark curated the rehang of the British Folk Collection at Compton Verney.