Etsy Shop Open!

Hi Everyone,

Letting all the Bloggers know that I have an account with Etsy.com! So if you're far away but want an original then that's the place to connect, here's a link at the bottom to check it out.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BrettMasonArt

Blog for visual/sound project, Chill City Icon

I've recently created a blog for a group I'm currently in called Chill City Icon. Its made so it'll be easier to find recent news about upcoming shows and videos, photo, and audio recordings. You can also visit the sound cloud and facebook, enjoy!

Official Blog

Soundcloud Page

Facebook Page

The site is ready!!

For those who have yet to know, the site is up and ready! This blog will still be active for viewers to know about the new website. If you look for it in a search engine its just brettmasonart.com instead of the blog just to keep in mind when looking. However, any updates and news will be posted on the website instead of the art blog, enjoy and thanks for the patience!

www.brettmasonart.com

Where have I been?!?!

Hey everyone, as it seems obvious but I haven't really been updating my blog lately and heres why. Lot of things happening this time around so I've been rather busy, I've been working with this group called Chill City Icon which is a music/soundscape project I've been creating live drawings with at venues. It's a very unique project and has a lot of people drawn into the idea of what or mission is. We have three shows lined up as of now for the summer that will be listed on the bottom.

I also have two pieces on display at two different galleries. First one is a collage piece for the Cambridge Art Association 12th National Prize Show which will be on display at the Kathryn Schultz Gallery located on 25 Lowell St, Cambridge, MA. One of my Life and the Imagination paintings titled "Elephant with Caretaker" will be on display at the Endicott Center for the Arts on 376 Hale St, Beverly, MA.

The big news, however, based on the amount of viewers that I've received not only from fans but viewer from other countries I'm in the process of finally upgrading to an actual website! This way it'll much easier to navigate artwork and find news/info as ease, whereas the blog tends to get a little disorganized. So keep eyes pealed for that which will hopefully be up and running by the end of the week.

Also, thank you all for the support and interest in what I do, it does mean a great deal to me to finally be paid off for what I love to do most. Though it may be a long road to earn great success there's always time to make something of yourself along the way. I've connected with great people and hope to find more along the way. Thanks again!

Here are some dates to keep in mind for upcoming 2013 events:

Cambridge Art Association: May 15- July 11
Endicott Center for the Arts: May 24- August 2
Chill City Icon: June 14 and 25 (119 Gallery, Lowell, MA)
                         August 9 (Wilder Zangcraft, Lowell, MA)

More "Life and the Imagination" Paintings!

Couple of paintings recently finished. I started on the flowers around the summer but put it off for a while to work on other things until a couple of months ago decided to go back into it. The weaver was from a photograph that I really liked when I first saw it over a year ago but finally felt it was right to work on it. Hope you enjoy!

"Vase with Flowers"

"Weaver"

More paintings!

Couple of paintings I've worked on since 2012. Nothing more to say other than to enjoy!

"Regression"

"Allegory of Life and Death"

"Life and the Imagination" series paintings posted!

The along awaited paintings have finally been updated! Thanks to my intern and fellow artist Alex Blake, we've been able to organize my studio and photograph more often. There will be more work to be displayed fairly soon!

"A Shepard"

"Herder with Prayer Beads"

"Guardians"

"Elephant with Caretaker"

Work included in Art Impressions Publication!

Today I've received information that one of my paintings "Alter of Life and the Imagination," will be in Art Impressions' next hardcover book titled "Perspectives, A Collection of Art." This well known publication will include sixty other artists with their own page that includes contact information, etc. They will also be sending copies of the book to 300 top art galleries in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles in digital format! It is currently in the processes of being put together and I will update in the future as soon as it comes out for people to have for themselves! Until then, have a great new year to all!

Alter of Life and the Imagination

Rockport Flyer

Just for a reminder about the Rockport show with this flyer done by Matt Tanzi, who set up the show and will be featured in it as well. Better see it soon before it goes down!

Abstract Watercolors

Here are three of the set of watercolors on paper I've been working on during the spring and summer. I'm working on another one currently and plan to carry out more over time.

             

         "These paintings are an abstract interpretation of transformation that occurs within nature. Done in watercolor I am able to draw, scrape, and wash out overlapping fields of color and light to create a sense of rhythm and momentum. Through these intense color shifts and organic structures within the picture plane evokes a sense change and rebirth like seasons of a temperate forest. Growing older I become more aware of my connection with the natural world that’s been a part of me since the days I’ve taken nature hikes with my siblings and father. The more distant I am from nature the more I attempt to reconnect my passion through art whether it’d be abstract or not."

"Abstraction 1"

"Abstraction 2"

"Abstraction 3"

Changes for Rockport show

In case people we wondering why there wasn't a reception on the announced day is due to a sudden change where it has to be rescheduled. I apologize to anyone who was not noticed about the change, for I was given last minute announcements about it myself. Though I'm a little late for posting this, but I will announce when the reception is for anyone still interested in the near future.

Group Show at Rockport High School

Montserrat Alumni Derek Hart, Alex Black, Matt Tanzi and I have put together a show at Rockport High School, where Matt Tanzi is assistant teacher to complete his practicum. The work spans from work done from paintings, illustration, as well as collages that were made as far back 2011.  It is currently up now a reception will be held on Thursday November 1st from 3-5 pm. More information to be posted asap.


Derek Hart:
http://derekhartstudios.com/section/307772_Illustration.html

Matt Tanzi:
http://matttanzi.com/home.html

Things that go Bump in the Night

My painting "Virus" will be on display at Gallery Della-Piana with a theme on the eerie and the mysterious. The gallery can be found on 15R Main Street, Wenham, Ma. The show will run from September 14th through November 10th. For directions or to learn more visit the site, I hope you get to enjoy the show with other amazing work!

http://www.gallerydellapiana.com/

More Ink Studies

Here are some more ink studies I've done dealing with figures in space. 

"Sitting Study #1" 22" x 13 6/8"

"Dan study" 22" x 13 6/8"

"Sitting Study #2" 22" x 13 6/8"

Keeping this up to date

Couple of drawings I've done in the past, the charcoal drawing was done last fall and the pastel was done roughly two years ago. Granted I'm not that great with pastel I believe that this piece was rather successful, it was also a starting point for drawing and collage. The other drawing was one of the last drawings I did for my advanced figure drawing course I took in the fall. Drawing was always difficult for me even though I've progressed immensely since my last intensive semester of drawing. I still find time to draw, I'm currently working on a portrait and will post it as soon as I photograph it (along with other work I promised to post).

Things are in progress

Well you maybe wondering what I've been doing for a while now so I'd give an update. I finally have my studio set up in my apartment which has more room to work in than the last space, which is now my bedroom. However, like any other artist that goes through this transformation it's taking some time to adjust. Not so much for what I need to do, which is plenty, just getting use to the space and how I work in it. I've manage to stay busy doing some work though, I've belted out more collages that'll be updated soon on my collage blog, and working on a series of abstract work with watercolor and pencil/charcoal black and white drawings. This set of work is a different form of abstraction that is more organic, whereas I've made work with hard cubist structures and pops of color. I've grown an interest in this series of work and will continue to work until I've created a substantial body of drawings and paintings. Some of this series will be updated soon!

On other news, I've been working with Caroline Bagenal fixing up her barn studio in Newburyport as well as preparing for her upcoming show in the fall at Boston Sculptors Gallery. Caroline is a sculptor, installation artist, and writer who currently teaches senior fine art seminar and art history at Montserrat. She's had many exhibits and is quite a successful artist, you can learn more about her on her website with the link below!
http://carolinebagenal.com/home.html

Purchasing Prints!

I'm very excited to say that there are now prints available for sale with society6! This is a great way to own a print of my work as easy as clicking your mouse, check out the link and see what I have posted. There are different sizes to choose from small 8 x 10 inches to gallery size prints, enjoy!

Brett Mason society6 page:
http://society6.com/BrettMason

These two paintings are from the show "Depth". The top piece Virus was painted during my winter break while the bottom was made during my last semester, which is called Alter of Life and Imagination. Virus was inspired by this strange experience I had when waking up in the middle of the night with a face staring me down with wide, glowing eyes, while in a panicked state the face slowly slipped out of my bedroom door. Whether it was a dream or some paranormal encounter it still leaves me with curiosity to how why this occurred, making this an interesting subject matter. Alter of Life and Imagination was referenced from a photograph taken 50 or so years ago in Vietnam. I used this image as a departure point to create a more abstract composition, I have more photographs that I intend to use for a series.

Heres a painting that is on display at the Beverly High School Alumni show. Unfortunately the reception already took place earlier today, but will be up for a while. Also, one of my paintings, "Isolated Contemplation" will be in the Endicott Artfest show going up from May 25 till August 3 with former Beverly High School Art teacher, Paula Borsetti, as a featured artist! Paula has taught me when I attended at Beverly High School and is an accomplished teacher and artist who is dedicated in motivating her students to become great artist. The reception will be Friday, June 15, 5:00 - 8:00, hope to see you there!

These are drawings I did back in 2009, which happen to be my better drawings I've done in that time period. I believe this was a starting point for me to work with photographic images with drawing compositions.