Kaitlin Mason
About the Artist
Kaitlin Mason grew up in a small town about an hour from Toronto Ontario. Originally starting her post-secondary career in Interior design, Kaitlin fell in love with a mandatory drawing class and eventually switched to the Fine Arts program. After completing her Fine Arts diploma, Kaitlin transferred to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
After graduating from university, she began to experiment by using coloured pencils on wood panels and has been creating her unique coloured pencil drawings ever since. Kaitlin has been awarded several accolades for her unique drawings and continues to exhibit regularly sending her drawings to new homes worldwide.
In the past few years since beginning her journey using coloured pencils, Kaitlin has been able to create a unique process of layering with coloured pencils which builds the saturation and vibrancy her drawings are known for. By eliminating the ‘graininess’ of the pencil texture, she challenges the preconceived ideas of what coloured pencil drawings often look like. Her drawings become painterly and 3 dimensional, which brings new life to an underrated artistic medium like coloured pencils.
Artist Statement
Derived from the ornamentation as well as its “free form” essence as simply a piece of cloth, Kaitlin’s drawings investigate the figure and the vacancy of human presence as a purposely arranged garment. Each drawing plays on the alluring idea of what is seen and what is hidden and focuses on the individual details of each garment.
The garments and fabrics that surround us daily are often still, hanging behind doors or folded in drawers. Drawing these forms captures their unique details that can be displayed, bringing new life to an otherwise mundane item. By questioning how the novelty of delicate garments can change one’s self-esteem, Kaitlin explores the idea of choice, and how it expresses self-admiration, boldness and radiance for an individual’s confidence when choosing a garment.
These trompe-l’oeil fabric drawings are created by using multiple layers of coloured pencil on a wood panel surface. This technique builds up the vibrancy and saturation of the colours and pushes the capabilities of the coloured pencil medium. Leaving the wood exposed adds an element of organic detail that is unique to each piece. Light and shadows play a role in each drawing to create a sense of 3-dimensionality on a 2-dimensional surface, further bringing the garment to life. The small sample of fabric often belongs to something larger, something more, something left unknown; it is a moment captured, never to be ‘that’ again.
How do you interpret ‘Ready to wear’ in your work?
The concept of “Ready to Wear” is translated in my work through the use of intricate garments and fabrics. I work with delicate pieces of lingerie which explores the often-overlooked details of these beautiful garments. My coloured pencil drawings often evoke a sense of nostalgia when viewed by my audience ,and I often hear “I think i have that bra or that scarf” which creates fun conversations about our favourite brands. I typically position each garment in a way so that it looks like it is hanging or laying down, ready to be worn. In contrast I to how we store and organize our garments, placing them in closets, or in drawers, my drawings bring each into the world to be on display as a piece of art, reimagining and displaying a mundane item as something to be admired.
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