. Mr. Local History Project | Artist Spotlight
PREVIEW POST: Upcoming Mr. Local History Artist Spotlight. Additional details and selected artwork will follow the artist’s interview.
There’s something special about seeing a familiar New Jersey landmark through an artist’s eyes. A building you’ve passed hundreds of times, a quiet country road, or a historic landscape suddenly takes on a new personality when captured on canvas.
New Jersey artist Mark de Mos has created artwork featuring some of the state’s most recognizable and historically significant places, including scenes from Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, and, more recently, Schooley’s Mountain.
These communities are filled with architectural treasures, historic landscapes, and stories stretching back centuries. Through his artwork, de Mos offers viewers another way to appreciate what makes New Jersey special.
Meet the Artist: Mark de Mos
- Name: Mark de Mos
- Hometown: Longtime Morristown, New Jersey resident
- Age:
- Education: New Jersey Institute of Technology, B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 1982
- Artistic Beginnings: Started with pen and ink in high school and etching in college
- Watercolor Painting: Began in the mid 1980s
- Specialties: Watercolors, oils, pastels, etching and pen and ink
- Favorite Subjects: Historic buildings, New Jersey villages, landscapes, farms and community landmarks
- Leadership: Former president of the New Jersey Watercolor Society and founding president of the Pastel Society of New Jersey
- Recognition: Award-winning artist whose work has appeared in national watercolor publications
- Local Connections: Paintings depicting Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Morristown and Schooley’s Mountain and other locations.
The Artist Behind the Paintings
For more than four decades, New Jersey artist Mark de Mos has been capturing the beauty, charm, and character of the places we call home. A longtime Morristown resident, de Mos is an accomplished watercolor artist whose paintings celebrate historic buildings, village streets, country landscapes and treasured community traditions.
For those of us who love local history, his paintings offer something especially meaningful. From the historic streets of Basking Ridge and Bernardsville to the beloved Schooley’s Mountain General Store, de Mos captures more than architecture and scenery. He preserves the personality, nostalgia and sense of place that make our New Jersey communities special.
Through his brush, familiar landmarks become lasting works of art, reminding us that preserving history isn’t always about saving old buildings. Sometimes it’s about capturing their stories before they fade from memory.
Basking Ridge and Bernardsville, nestled in the Somerset Hills, retain reminders of their colonial past, agricultural heritage, and transformation into thriving communities. Their historic buildings, winding roads, and distinctive landscapes provide wonderful subjects for an artist.
Farther west, Schooley’s Mountain in Morris County offers an equally fascinating setting. Once a celebrated nineteenth-century resort destination known for its mineral springs and grand hotels, the mountain is also home to the historic Schooley’s Mountain General Store, dating to circa 1803.
For those interested in local history, paintings of these places can be more than decorative artwork. They can become visual records of buildings, landscapes, and community character at a particular moment in time.
As New Jersey commemorates America’s 250th anniversary, the relationship between art and history takes on additional meaning. Artists who choose historic subjects introduce these locations to new audiences while encouraging longtime residents to see familiar surroundings in a new light.
The Mr. Local History Project is preparing a special feature on Mark de Mos, exploring his artistic background, his interest in New Jersey communities, and the stories behind selected paintings. We look forward to learning what inspires him, how he chooses his subjects, and which historic New Jersey locations might appear on his canvas next.
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