About the Artist
I've had a lifelong fascination with history, aviation and art. From an early age, I've used my artistic talents to combine those interests by drawing and painting scenes read in books or told to me by relatives who had flown in the US Army Air Forces during World War II. Visual inspiration came in the form of plastic airplane model box top art, every Time-Life book series I could subscribe to, and my family's 1972 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. My mom had the foresight to sign me up for oil painting lessons when I was 9 years old, and in addition to the traditional still life paintings my teacher would have me do, I did manage to squeeze in my own Master Studies of works by John Trumbull and Thomas Gainsborough.
I received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Mississippi State University, and after graduation got a job as the Graphic Design Coordinator for Taylor Machine Works, a manufacturer of lifting machinery in Louisville, MS. My job involved assembling the graphic elements for all sorts of publications, but I was also involved with special projects for things like international trade shows, for which I created a series of 8'x10' murals. It was a great job for a new college grad, but an opportunity to hit the road full-time as a guitar player in the band Southfire managed out of Nashville, TN, found me hitting the road after a year and a half at Taylor's, and I spent the next 3 years as a traveling minstrel from coast to coast. After we'd had our shot at the elusive brass ring, I went back to school and pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Electronic Visualization from Mississippi State University. My graduate research focused on the story of my relative Johnny Butler, who flew B-17 Flying Fortresses with the 384th Bomb Group in England during WWII. In addition to producing a 35-minute documentary on Johnny's experience titled Crew 19, I created the website for the 384th Bomb Group (www.384thbombgroup.com). It is now managed by a team of dedicated researchers and remains the flagship website for any 8th Air Force unit in WWII.
I remained as faculty at MSU for the next six years, launching my career as a college art instructor. While at MSU, I taught Drawing I and II, Design I and II, Rendering, and Computer Art. In 2004, I met my wife Crystal, and in 2005 we had our son, JT. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, we moved to the Mississippi gulf coast, and I worked for a year and a half as the Multimedia Coordinator during the rebuilding and reopening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi. I got back into teaching in 2008, and since then I've taught for William Carey University, Tulane University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and I'm currently the Visual Arts Instructor and Gallery Director at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. I will retire from teaching full time in 2026.
In 1992, I became an Associate Member in the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA), an organization founded by aviation art pioneers Keith Ferris, R.G. Smith, Ren Wicks, Joe Kotula, and Robert McCall. I was juried in as an Artist Member in 2002, and in 2018 became an Artist Fellow. I served as the ASAA’s President from 2022-2024. In 2018, I began participating as a civilian artist with the National Museum of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program. In 2023, I was awarded the Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. Award from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. In 2021, my good friend and fellow ASAA member Russell Smith came up with the idea of the two of us co-instructing "The Color of Flight" plein air painting workshop at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, NY, and I've had the great pleasure of being a part of the biennial event in 2021, 2023, and 2025...it's been a great hit! I've also had the opportunity to participate in the Department of the Air Force Art Program, documenting events for Space Force. In September 2025, I received the Order of St. Maurice, Civis level, from the Mississippi Rifles through the National Infantry Association. I look forward to creating more historical artwork in a multitude of directions.
As an artist, my work is rooted in realism and dogged historical research. I am passionate about history, and enjoy the research and preparation for a new artwork as much as its creation, in the hopes of creating a strong narrative and an accurate visual historical document. I dove into plein air painting in 2014 primarily to strengthen my studio works. The historical pieces I create are not based off of a singular historical photo, but instead are crafted from a vantage point to put the viewer in the scene, as if they were witness to it. In doing so, I've had to immerse myself in the study of color and light so that when I am assembling a composition from scratch, I'll be better informed as to what the scene should "look" like. Although my primary medium is oil, I enjoy working in graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache. I accept commissions in all of those mediums, and look forward to whatever is next on the easel or drawing board.
I currently live in Gulfport, MS with my wife, Crystal, and son JT, when he's home from college. My golden retrievers Roscoe and Ranger are my studio buddies.
Here's a fun interview done by my good friend, USMC Combat Artist Maj. Mike Reynolds, who hosts the podcast Beyond the Medium
CURRICULUM VITAE
Education:
Mississippi State University
2001
Master of Fine Arts (Terminal) in Electronic Visualization, Multimedia emphasis
Thesis title- Crew 19: An Artistic Impression on Visual Storytelling (painting and drawing exhibition and video documentary)
1992
Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
Experience:
Marc Poole Studios - I continue to work as an artist and designer personally and professionally, with a primary focus on historical aviation subjects. Commissioned work consists of fine art, illustration, and rendering in pencil, colored pencil, ink, pastel, oils, watercolor, gouache, and digital media.
Partial list of former patrons, clients and permanent collections with my work include:
* National Museum of the Marine Corps (Triangle, VA)
* Department of the Air Force Art Program (Washington, DC)
* Navy Art Collection (Washington, DC)
* US Art in Embassies Program (Washington, DC)
* National Naval Aviation Museum (Pensacola, FL)
* The Citadel Military College (Charleston, SC)
* Mississippi Armed Forces Museum (Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, MS)
* Ocean Springs Museum of History (Ocean Springs, MS)
* Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Biloxi, MS)
* Beau Rivage Hotel & Casino (Biloxi, MS)
* Mercedes-Benz USI, Inc. (Vance, AL)
* Mississippi State University, Office of the Vice President
* Mississippi State University, Raspet Flight Research Laboratory
* Mississippi State University, Department of Aerospace Engineering
* Higginbotham Mercedes-Benz/Porsche (Jackson, MS)
* Tupelo Automobile Museum (Tupelo, MS)
* Bryan Foods, Inc. (West Point, MS)
* Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center (Meridian, MS)
* Mississippi Magazine (Jackson, MS)
August 2008 - present
Art Instructor and Gallery Director (full-time) - Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Campus
Classes taught:
* Design I and II
* Drawing I and II
* Painting I and II
* Art History I and II
* Art Appreciation (traditional and online)
* Introduction to Digital Art
January 2011 - May 2015
Art Instructor (adjunct professor) - University of Southern Mississippi
Classes taught:
* Art Appreciation
August 2008 - August 2014
Art Instructor (adjunct professor) - Tulane University, Biloxi MS campus
Classes taught:
* Graphic Design I and II
* Digital Imaging
* Beginning Drawing I and II
August 2008 - December 2008
Art Instructor (adjunct professor) - William-Carey University
Classes taught:
* Web Design
May 2007 - August 2008
Multimedia Designer/Coordinator - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
Established workflows for all multimedia outlets. Job duties include: webmaster; creation and scheduling of all animation content used for marketing channels throughout the property, DVD/video/audio projects; creation and scheduling of all on-screen graphics for NEXGEN slot machine interfaces.
2001 - May 2007
Art Instructor (full-time) - Mississippi State University
Classes taught:
* Design I and II
* Drawing I and II
* Introduction to Computers for Artists and Designers
* Intermediate Computers for Graphic Designers
* Rendering for Interior Design and Architecture
* Life Drawing I (teaching assistant)
* Painting I (teaching assistant)
January 2002-2003
Painting Instructor - I instructed an evening senior-citizen painting class in the spring of 2002 and 2003 at the Vo-Tech Center in Louisville, Mississippi.
August 1998 - December 2001
Graduate Student/Teaching Assistant - I pursued my MFA in Electronic Visualization (Multimedia emphasis) at Mississippi State University. I also taught several undergraduate-level studio art classes as a teaching assistant.
August 1997 - December 1997
Art Instructor - I gave art and guitar lessons to 6-12 year old children at Mississippi Arts in Motion in Brandon, MS
July 1994 - July 1997
Musician - I was lead/rhythm guitarist/vocalist for the band SOUTHFIRE. We toured the country as an opening band for major country/southern rock acts, and were managed by the Clif Doyal Agency in Nashville. We cut a never-released 10-track CD with A&M/Nashville and shot a video, but we split up in 1997 to pursue other interests after A&M shut their doors.
January 1993 - June 1994
Graphic Design Coordinator - I was employed at Taylor Machine Works, Inc., in Louisville, MS, a manufacturer of lifting machinery. I was responsible for the preparation of text and graphics work for company literature prior to publication. I was also involved with special projects and the organization of displays for national and international trade shows.
1989 - 1992
Graphic Designer - While a college student, I was self-employed as a designer and painter of logos and paint schemes for a variety of aircraft, interstate trucks, and vehicles. I leased a hangar from the city of Starkville at the George M. Bryan Airport and ran my own paint shop, repainting private aircraft. I also worked as a Lineman for Ratliff Air Service (RAS) at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.
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Awards, Honors, Memberships and Publications:
* The Order of St. Maurice, Civis Level, National Infantry Association (2025)
* Plein Air Magazine- Featured in article with Russell Smith, "Realism Takes Flight" (March 2025)
* Artist Residency-The Citadel Military College, Charleston, SC (March 2025)
* Luther Y. Gore Distinguished Service Award - 2024 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Pax River Naval Air Museum, Maryland
* President, American Society of Aviation Artists (2022-2024)
* The Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. Award, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (2023)
* Walt Jefferies Award -2023 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
* Secretary, American Society of Aviation Artists (2018-2022)
* Co-Instructor with Russell Smith- “Color of Light” Plein Air Painting Workshop, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Rhinebeck, NY (2021, 2023, 2025)
* Award of Merit - 2022 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, GA
* Founders Gold Ribbon - 2022 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, GA
* Walt Jefferies Award - 2022 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, GA
* President, Mississippi Community College Art Instructors Association (MCCAIA) (2021)
* Artist Fellow, American Society of Aviation Artists (2019 - present)
* Award of Distinction- 2019 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, OH
* Moody Institute Fellow - Mississippi State Board for Community Colleges (2018)
* Boeing Spirit of Flight Award - 2018 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Palm Springs Air Museum
* Award of Merit - 2018 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Palm Springs Air Museum
* Civilian Combat Artist - National Museum of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program (2018-Present)
* Exhibitor - 2017 National Juried Painting Exhibit, University of Southern Mississippi
* Award of Merit - 2017 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Virginia Air & Space Center
* Founders Silver Ribbon - 2017 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Virginia Air & Space Center
* 1st Place, General Aviation Category - 2016 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Kalamazoo, Michigan
* 1st Place, Military Category - 2016 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Kalamazoo, Michigan
* Walt Jefferies Award - 2015 American Society of Aviation Artists International Forum and Exhibit, Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, Georgia
* Instructor of the Year, MGCCC Jackson County campus (2014)
* Solo Exhibition - “RECENT WORKS” MGCCC Jackson County (Jan. - March 2015)
* Painting “Pisatuntema” published in USM’s summer edition of “The Southern Quarterly”
* Solo Exhibition - “RECENT WORKS” Jones County Junior College (Oct.- Nov. 2014)
* Instructor in the American Society of Aviation Artists’ Mentorship Program (2014-present)
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