Carefree Artist

12/8/15

Strike the Harp and Join the Chorus...

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/fa-la-la-mark-hicks.html
This design is available at Fine art America as a fine art print, metal print, canvas print and more. Click here.

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Free Education Clip Art

Free Education Clip Art

Yes, I created the Thinking Cap image above! It was originally created for and licensed to Discovery (Channel) Education for many years. You can now find it and many more images at EducatorClips.com.

(Click on the image to learn the story behind my education clip art.)

Copyrighted Material
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About the Artist...

My photo
Mark
I'm a retired, award-winning, internationally-published freelance artist and illustrator who has created hundreds upon hundreds of works of art for books, magazines, greeting cards, websites, and countless other publications over a long career. I had hoped when I retired, I would just happily fade into the background and the simple life. The plan was to continue to do volunteer work with the National Park Service alongside my wife. And maybe find time to paint, sculpt, and create other art -- but just for art's sake. But after becoming my wife’s cancer caregiver and then losing her to the evil disease, my life was turned upside down. So now, in honor of my previvor daughter and my beloved late wife and muse, I'm now dedicating most of my time to being a hereditary cancer awareness and prevention advocate.
View my complete profile
Please see my website, MARKiX.net, for more info and more samples of my work. For whimsical art go to my site, Whimsicalillustrator.com.

About this blog/art journal...

The Carefree Artist is about my artistic endeavors and adventures as a professional freelance creative. Posts might feature a cartoon, or a recently published illustration from a book or magazine assignment, or an original piece of art that I might be selling to try and raise funds for my art supply donation project*. All with an emphasis on originality.

Why did I name this journal the Carefree Artist? Actually, it’s really just a wishful sentiment. A professional life in the arts, mine included, is usually anything but carefree. But oh how wonderful it would be to really be a carefree artist! Living the simple life in a quiet and inspiring location and creating a ton of art just for art's sake!

The name was also inspired by the Carefree Highway. A road that played an important role in my life... More about this journal's name at the bottom of this page.

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Please note: I respect your privacy. I do not sell or share your email information with anyone.



Studies have shown that art has the amazing ability to help heal the body and mind. With that in mind I created Art Mends™, my personal art supply donation project.

The goal of Art Mends™ is to simply provide as many free art supplies as possible to a local municipal hospital. The supplies are used by children facing challenging illnesses so they might use artistic creativity to fight whatever ails them. Please see ArtMends.org for more info.

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Learn More About my Books...

My Books
Click Here

10 year member SCBWI
Society of Children's Book
Writers & Illustrators Member

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Creating fun and whimsical greeting cards for the holidays is a passion and a specialty.


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Pages

  • Love, Loss, Cancer & Advocacy
  • Talking to your Family about Hereditary Cancer Resources
  • Life as an Artist Cartoon
  • Know the Copyright Law and Don't Steal Art!
  • Favorite Quotes
  • My Art Sig, mHicks, and the Copyright Notice

More about this journal's name...

The name for this journal was also inspired by the Carefree Highway here in my native state of Arizona. (Yes, the one Gordon Lightfoot sang about.) A road that played role in my life as a child and a very important role as a young adult. First, when it was just a rough dirt track to basically nowhere. Then later, when it was a small two-lane road in the middle of the desert. All many years before they widened it and put up all the ugly cookie-cutter houses, apartments, and strip malls and ruined the natural scenic beauty of the area. ("Carefree Highway, you seen better days... Carefree highway, let me slip away, Slip away on you.")


And no, I do not live in Carefree, Arizona. I live in Phoenix. Land values in Carefree are, unfortunately, not particularly friendly for those pursuing freelance artistic endeavors.

(below) The Road to Carefree. What the Carefree "Highway" was like in my childhood. Acrylic on canvas. 24" x 36" Private collection.


All the material on Carefree Artist is copyrighted by Mark A. Hicks -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction for any purpose without the express written consent of
Mark A. Hicks, illustrator is strictly prohibited.

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