Mark Ellis was born and raised in a small community near Madison, Indiana in 1972. He has always had a love for music and the arts, and was active in choir, dance, and band where he played the saxophone. In 1990, Mark attended Indiana University, where he started as a music major–later switching to film studies and filmmaking, comparative literature, and Danish language and culture. His path eventually led him to a degree in telecommunications, with a focus on radio and television production.
After college, Mark worked in film production in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, working on films like "The Insider" and "Madison," before eventually moving to New York City in 2000. He studied graphic design, advertising, and photography at the School of Visual Arts. During this time, Mark worked at several advertising agencies as an art director before moving to Copenhagen, Denmark in 2005. There, he taught English as a second language and traveled a bit, wanting to take a break from the hustle of NYC.
In 2008, Mark moved back to New York City to pursue a career in user experience and systems design. In 2014, he moved to Seattle, WA to continue his design work for tech companies. He has worked on major brands, including Samsung, Lowe’s, Verizon, Motorola, Dolby, Mattel, GM, Hyundai, Royal Caribbean, and more. His passion for design and empathy for users are the two things that drive his work. He has worked at major agencies like Weber Shandwick and Oliver Wyman as well as in-house at Samsung and Lowe’s.
When Mark first heard of Rex Brasher and the monumental amount of work, dedication, and passion that Rex put into painting the birds of North America, he knew he wanted to support the Rex Brasher Association and is honored to help share Rex’s life work with the world.