Tragedy has a way of prompting spontaneous creativity. Local self-taught artist Mark Peria was grief stricken upon learning that his musical hero, David Bowie, had died January 10th following an 18-month battle with cancer. In an effort to cope, the graphic designer took stylus to tablet and began digitally sketching ideas for the 24” x 36” marker vellum portrait which is currently featured in the storefront window of Annapolis’ 45 West Pop Up Gallery. The pop up gallery is the collaborative effort of Annapolis artists Peria, Charles Lawrance, Stewart Weiss, Jimi Davies, and Alison Harbaugh. “There’s an art renaissance going on right now. This town needed something like this. There’s just nothing else like it,” said Lawrance, owner of Finnapolis Art Gallery. He said the gallery’s unexpectedly long run will come to an end in mid-March. “I stayed up all night sketching and just listening to Bowie’s music,” said the 29-year-old graphic designer. Peria creates many of his illustrations
Source: Local artist, Mark Peria creates tribute to Bowie at Annapolis pop-up gallery | Eye On Annapolis