Macon artist Mark Ballard still creates beauty in his community

Ask long-time Macon residents about Mark Ballard and a handful of things may pop into their minds: a cookbook author, a lime green aficionado, a bee-lovin’, little yellow taxi collector with a Christmas tree that gives the one at Rockefeller Center a run for its money and a porcelain vidalia onion plate in the Smithsonian. 

Ballard’s eclectic style and infectious positivity are hard to forget. He taught a generation of Middle Georgians how to bake a homemade caramel cake and craft elaborate holiday wreaths as “The Artist” on 13WMAZ, and on his shows “Mark Being Mark” and the “Mark Ballard Show” on Cox Cable. Folks also looked forward to reading his Sunday column in The Macon Telegraph.

Although it’s been 15 years since Ballard’s distinctive Southern drawl and artistic flair last graced Southeast Georgians’ TV screens, he says fans still recognize him. 

Finding his way through the arts

A former South Macon resident, Ballard credits his mother for the sacrifices she made to support his love of the arts.

“She never got to see me on TV or any of that,” he said. “One person that would have been proud — it would’ve been her, because she had sacrificed and was my biggest cheerleader.”

After his third grade teacher encouraged his mother to take him to art classes outside of school, Ballard enrolled in group lessons with artist Houser Smith. Smith used to teach at the old Wesleyan Conservatory and hadn’t had a pupil as young as Ballard.

“Houser was so hard on me,” Ballard said. “He taught me a lot of discipline because he knew I could do it.”

He trained under Smith from elementary school through high school. 

After graduation, Ballard set his sights on the seemingly “unreachable” Atlanta College of Art (now SCAD). Smith helped him apply for scholarships and Ballard headed to Atlanta, where he lived with his aunt and uncle.

He studied visual communications and graphic design, and learned to survive on what little money he had at the time.

“I had $5 and I’m thinking, ‘Am I gonna go eat or am I gonna go get the art supplies?’” he said.

Ballard had known his future wife, Debra, since he was 2. A pair of Macon natives, they attended the same church growing up.

During his time in Atlanta, he reconnected with her. His art teachers noticed he wasn’t as focused and asked if something had changed in his life.

Ballard and Debra married after he graduated. They raised a son and a daughter from Debra’s previous marriage together.

When Ballard’s mother got in an accident with an 18-wheeler that left her in the hospital for six months, the family moved back to Macon to be closer to her. 

Ballard needed work and searched for ways to become involved with Macon’s patrons of the arts. He tried for weeks to connect with Neva Fickling, Miss America 1953 and wife of William A. Fickling Jr. of the prominent Macon real estate family.

One day, Neva invited Ballard to the Fickling home to see his art portfolio. As a Wesleyan College alumnus, she was drawn to a charcoal depiction of the Old Wesleyan Conservatory.

During his visit, the interior decorating firm for her husband’s Charter Medical Hospitals rang Neva — a moment that Ballard describes as being in the right place at the right time. 

Neva recommended Ballard, who began creating art for the hospitals. From there, he began building an artistic name for himself. He designed T-shirts and other souvenir items for the Cherry Blossom Festival and became their official artist. Ballard and Neva remained lifelong friends.

From canvas to TV screen

What began as a simple invitation to decorate a Christmas tree for the Channel 13 set transformed Ballard into a household name that garnered loyal fans throughout Middle Georgia and beyond. After designing the festive tree for the Channel 13 set, Ballard was encouraged to ask for a spot on TV.

During his first segment in 1995, Ballard captivated viewers as he demonstrated how to make elaborately decorated gift boxes for the holidays. 

Unable to finish the full tutorial in a two-minute time frame, viewers wrote the station asking to see more of Ballard. The next week he had a four-minute segment, then a half hour, then full hour. 

“I was a real person,” he said of his magnetic personality on screen. 

Ballard spent 15 years showing audiences everything from decorating to baking. He published his first cookbook “Blossoms and Bees, Peaches and Pound Cake” and has published a total of five cookbooks.

People couldn’t find the ingredients for Martha Stewart’s recipes in the grocery store, Ballard said, they had to make a trip to Atlanta for ingredients. 

“I enjoyed that whole ride of all that. It was totally unexpected,” he said, reflecting on his time on TV and as a columnist. “I do believe that if you’re meant to do things, it will happen.”

New challenges and new artwork

Ballard’s front living room, painted Tiffany and Co. blue, is a testament to his life’s work. 

Seated on a vintage chair adorned with a palm tree pattern, Ballard is framed by a sparkling Christmas tree that nearly touches the ceiling and dozens of other carefully curated holiday knickknacks, remnants of his favorite time of the year despite the warmer months catching up to him. 

From his paintings on the walls to his T-shirt designs displayed as throw pillows to a set of handmade Camellias made of typewriter paper, Ballard had a hand in creating almost everything on display. 

His bee logo — an homage to his mother, who went by Mrs. B. — is permanently set into the black and white tile of his sun room, where more of his bee art has also crept onto the walls and furniture. He joked that the next owner of his house will either have to like it or get a rug. 

Since leaving the TV screen, Ballard has tried his hand at comedy, teaching art classes and speaking at conferences. Although readers can’t find him in the Sunday paper anymore, he still radiates positivity on his Facebook blog. 

In the last year and a half, Ballard and his wife have been absent in Macon. After an infected knee replacement and a stroke, Debra’s leg was amputated and the couple spent most of their time in Columbus receiving treatment.  

They are a pair meant to be, according to Ballard. He’s the artist, she’s the organizer and planner.

Upon returning to Macon, Ballard is just starting to create art and doing what he loves. He does commissioned artwork such as pet portraits and recently began dabbling with abstract art — a departure from his classically-trained background in realism. 

Ballard also has watercolor paintings set to be featured at the Macon Arts Alliance from May 2-23. 

Viewers might remember that Ballard used to close out his TV segments by telling viewers to “go out and create something beautiful” — a motto he continues to live by today.