Artist and Naturalist Mark Swenson has been creating nature inspired works of art for over 45 years and has received numerous awards. He paints from his life experiences living on Upper Gull Lake where he cares for his 98 year old mother Marilyn with his yellow lab, in his home studio. In 1994 Mark won the Minnesota Trout Stamp competition. He received Best of Show at the 2019 Brainerd Arboretum Summer Solstice Art Festival for The Gift. He was the recipient of the Dylan Barker Award in 2024 at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition for his painting Spring on the Flutereed. This year his painting Fractured, a large painting of ice out on a Minnesota lake, was selected for the 2025 Minnesota State Fair Fine Art Competition beginning August 21 - Labor Day.

Mark's grandparents came to Nisswa 65 years ago and settled on Upper Gull. The original family cottage is now a place for friends and family to spend their summer vacations. Their property also has one of the oldest boat houses on the lake that you can still drive into. It has been kept in it’s classic state and is comforting like an old sweater. Mark’s original fine art collection and custom furniture and carvings are throughout the property, in the boathouse, studio and lakeside. He has original oil paintings, canvas reproductions, limited edition prints, prints on metal, wood carvings of fish and other wildlife sculptures, as well as a selection of fine crafted furniture. Mark makes his frames and furniture from wood that is harvested from the surrounding area. His work can be found in collections around the country.