Artist's Biography

I generally consider aviation artist biographies as extraneous information. The art should speak for itself. A look at Keith Ferris' or R. G. Smith's work and one knows they are not only experts at moving paint on canvas but technicians and historians as well. Damn, those guys are good.

That being said here is the obligatory biography.

Mark Waki is a retired Northrop Grumman artist. He worked at the Promontory facility near Brigham City, Utah for over 38 years and is an Artist Fellow member of the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA).

He has been a professional aerospace artist since 1980 and has artwork displayed with the U.S. Air Force Art Collection, at the Pentagon, The U.S. Air Force Museum Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and with the U.S Air Force Thunderbirds, as well as with private collectors.

"My childhood was filled with pencil drawings and scale models of flying machines of all types. Drawings of B-25s shooting down Zeros and models of Fokker DR-1s to Saturn Vs go back to my preschool years. I never considered art as a profession until I realized that I wasn't going to fly military aircraft due to poor uncorrected vision. Paintings became the connection to the fighter pilot community, military aviation and spaceflight. I consider technical accuracy equally important as artistic style in the very unique world of aviation and aerospace art. However, both must be present to have good art."

MARK WAKI
DOB: 08/12/56
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 132lbs
Education: Attended University of Utah 1974-1976, Utah Technical College 1976-1978
Private Pilot Certificate, single engine land, 1987
Favorite Color(s): Red, White and Blue
Favorite Aviation Artist(s): Keith Ferris and R. G. Smith
Other Artists on my short list: John Steel and Jack Leynnwood
Childhood Heroes: American Military Personnel, Fighter Pilots, American Astronauts and John Wayne
Favorite Novels: Flight of the Intruder, Marooned, 633 Squadron, Forbidden Planet
Favorite Movies: Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, October Sky, Remember the Titans, Black Hawk Down, Rough Riders, Miracle

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2008 AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY AEROSPACE ART AWARDS "BEST OF THE BEST"
Oil painting "International Space Station" selected by Aviation Week & Space Technology as the best piece in the 2008 ASAA Annual Art Competition.

2004 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AVIATION ARTISTS EXHIBIT
Oil painting "T-Plus 30" selected as one of the top 100 paintings entered in the ASAA Annual Art Competition since its inception in 1986.

2003 U.S. AIR FORCE MUSEUM CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF AVIATION ART
One of a select group of aviation artists worldwide invited to participate in the official USAF art exhibit at Wright-Patterson AFB celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight.

2000 AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY AEROSPACE ART AWARDS FIRST PLACE SPACE
Oil painting "T-Plus-30"depicting the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.

1982 INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELERS SOCIETY JUDGE'S GRAND AWARD
1/32nd scale model of Focke-Wulf Fw-190D-9 selected as the best scale model of the 1982 IPMS/USA National Convention.

February 2014

May 2016

Engaging targets with a 38 Supercomp
Open Division semi-automatic pistol in my favorite
pastime/obsession, USPSA practical pistol competitions.
Photo by Jon and Maria Ramberg 2017

MARK WAKI
Grand Master, Limited Division
Grand Master, Limited 10 Division
Master, Carry Optics Division
Master, Open Division
Master, Production Division