Mark Daily

Born in Chicago in 1944, Daily developed an interest in art early on, attending summer classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at eleven and twelve. In 1962, he joined the American Academy of Art in Chicago, but left due to its focus on commercial rather than fine art. His passion for art truly ignited in 1967 after encountering the works of Nicolai Fechin. That year, he ventured to Taos, New Mexico, inspired by the local art scene and the Taos Society of Artists. Daily spent the next nine years there, honing his skills as a painter. While in Taos, Daily formed connections with fellow artists Ned Jacob, William Sharer, and Buffalo Kaplinski. They began exhibiting together, first in Taos, then in Denver, forming what became known as the Denver School. This group, united by their love for plein air painting and drawing, shared a close bond, marked by painting, socializing, travel, and joint exhibitions. The Denver School eventually dissipated in the early 1980s. Daily now lives with his family in Denver. In his painting approach, Daily focuses on the emotional impact and physical process required to create impactful art. He treats color with a broad perspective, using it to capture the natural light's brilliance, regardless of the subject. Each color is carefully integrated with others on the canvas to achieve this effect.