As of now, Mark (19) becomes one of only four students chosen to undertake the wood design diploma course, and only one of two to be accepted from outside Canberra.
For the accomplished wood craftsman, it represents an opportunity to gain valuable experience and expand on ideas and techniques as part of an exclusive team of students nd teachers.
The Canberra School of Art offers both diploma and degree courses in wood design, and the combined number of students in the courses is 24.
Mark has always been interested in wood, but in the past 12 months he has pursued a career in turning and woodcraft.
He studied for Matriculation at hellyer College in 1981 and 1982 after completing his studies at Smithton High School.
On leaving Hellyer, he began working with wood. In the intervening two years he has worked at woodturning, both at home and in the workshop of Toby Muir-Wilson.
Along the way, he has atttended weekend schools and workshops, and has attracted enough interest to enable him to show his work at in galleries, and to establish a small but growing reputation.
He decided to widen his horizons with the application to Canberra, and after an interview and examination of a folio of his work, the school accepted him.
Mark doesn not see his move from the State for the two-year course as permanent. he would like to come back to Smithton and set up his own business as a cabinetmaker.