
How David Mason’s Art Blends Realism with Simplicity



David Mason is a California-born artist living in Truckee who has been surrounded by creativity his entire life. In this interview, David opens up about his creative journey, from discovering photography as a child to developing his unique style as a self-taught artist. He talks about how challenges have shaped his creative process, how his restaurant career influenced his work ethic, and how he uses realism and minimalism to invite viewers to imagine their own stories through his art. David’s insights give us a deeper understanding of his dedication to learning, experimenting, and pushing his craft to new heights.
David Mason is a featured artist in our book “101 Art Book: Animal Edition .” You can explore his journey and the stories of other artists by purchasing the book here: https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/the-creative-process-book


California native, currently living in Truckee. My parents are artists, and growing up in Carmel gave me a great creative environment. Discovering photography early, around ten, helped me find my unique vision and sense of aesthetics. I was always drawing, figuring it out on my own. In college, my studies included Cal Poly SLO, applied art, and design with photography. I landed in the restaurant business to give myself time to find my direction and style, so the nighttime career supported my art career. Through gallery features, I found opportunities to exhibit my art throughout California and Scottsdale, AZ.
Dealing with the demands of life there have been slow times, and challenges, but currently and for the past few years I am constantly working and making my most exciting work. I have a thing for realism and minimalism. With my background in photography, I see things within a frame. By learning to focus on what’s primary in a scene and just developing that imagery, it doesn’t need a bigger context or classic scene. This lets the viewer imagine their own context and story. That’s what can make a piece personal to each viewer. I learn as I go, improving my technique and how I use colour. Experimenting more with texture and classic looks. Always trying to achieve new levels of harmony and finesse. Since being self-taught, I’ve figured out a mixture of media I use to achieve my drawings. Through mixing and layering coloured pencils, I have found a painterly style to make my effects happen.
1. How has growing up in a creative environment, surrounded by artists and the beauty of Carmel, influenced your creative vision?
I think it was more of a grounded foundation for me than anything. As a kid, Carmel was beautiful. Carmel really contributed to my photography at that time. My creative environment was a great place for exposure to different artists through my parents and also a safe place to draw and explore.
I’m self taught artist and I’ve figured out a mixture of medias that I use to achieve my drawings. Through mixing and layering color pencil I have found a painterly style to make my affects happen.
David Mason

2. You discovered photography at a young age; how did that shape your approach to framing and creating your artwork?
Photography was a great way to discover my creative voice. Framing things through a viewfinder made perfect sense to me. Now, as I make images on paper, I have the same natural sense of balance and aesthetics that I did when I was young. It all goes back to having that comfort as a kid to show how I see things.

3. Your journey has had its share of challenges. How have those moments influenced your creative process and the work you create today?
Yes. The challenges have made me stronger, fortunately. I like to learn, so I am determined to figure out a way to make my challenges work for me. There is also opportunity with each challenge, and identifying that is where the influence happens. What it might reflect in my work is a more process-driven approach, another level of patience, a healthy perspective, and testing myself without causing doubt. A learning mindset also helps foster my awareness, and this helps me greatly.

4. As a self-taught artist, what unique techniques or methods have you developed that define your painterly style with coloured pencils?
I learn as I go. I practice my craft every day. I have figured out my techniques. I know how I want a piece to look, and sometimes, it takes deconstructing it to figure out how I will do it. Layering and blending my colours and coloured pencils has been a huge benefit to my process, and hopefully, it adds to the uniqueness of what I do.

5. Balancing a restaurant career and art can’t be easy. How did that experience shape your dedication and perspective as an artist?
The nighttime career definitely supported the daytime career. Eventually, my dining room experience became more than just a job. I’ve worked in world-class dining rooms and around chefs who are artists with food. What I gained most was about work ethic and the confirmation that it is about making what you like first.
A learning mindset also helps foster my awareness and this helps me greatly.
David Mason
6. Your work is a blend of realism and minimalism. How do you decide what details to include or leave out to create space for the viewer’s imagination?
It’s all a very natural process for me. Usually, the image choice makes it obvious. Or I identify with what I identify with the most in a scene or where I see the opportunity to push my skill or test a technique. Everything, for me, is a learning curve for the next piece or group of ideas. Breaking that down to a simplistic form is important for translating my vision and idea. Leaving space for the viewer’s imagination to connect with what I portray always made sense.

David Mason’s journey as an artist is about learning, growing, and pushing himself to improve. He’s turned his challenges into opportunities, and his art reflects that constant evolution. With his mix of realism and minimalism, David creates pieces that encourage people to see and feel in their own way. To learn more about David, click the following links to visit her profile.
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