Mark (Gonzo) Lumley

Mark 'Gonzo' Lumley has been a caver for well over 20 years. Well known to the Mendip and South Wales cavers as an avid explorer, he has taken part in expeditions to Spain, Austria, Mexico and the United States. He has explored extensively beneath South Wales and has been involved in the opening up of Daran Cilau and several other lengthy explorations. He is a regular Wednesday night digger on the Mendips.

Trained as a graphic designer he runs a highly successful design consultancy in Bath known as Creative Edge.

A founder member of ISSA, Gonzo is a prolific artist. He works to a large extent on black paper and favours pastel pencils which are often heightened with acrylic. His paintings often show exploration a long way from home and contain episodes of delight, danger and sometimes the relaxation of the underground camp.

Wishing to paint pictures of the cave divers and not being a diver himself, Gonzo took a crash course in sub-aqua, before venturing into a sump with water proof book and pencils. The result is a collection of superb underwater pictures.

He is a regular exhibitor at ISSA exhibitions and a popular member being for a long time the Societies editor. He has taken part in all official ISSA shows and has works in collections world wide. There are many cavers that own a Gonzo.