About the Artist
Mason McCarty has been creating art for 25+years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University in Spatial Arts. In his early years, Mason practiced by drawing Spider Man comics and then branched out into other styles. Mason doesn’t like to settle on one medium but rather he enjoys experimenting with different styles and material to mix and match to push the envelope on any idea. Other media Mason has worked in include sculpting, acrylic, oil, pencil, airbrushing, tempera, charcoal, ceramics and woodwork. Mason loves to create his work on unusual surfaces and material. His 'canvas' has also included wood, ceramic, glass, porcelain, shoes, bondo, and fiberglass.
Mason is also an avid hockey fan. Having been born and raised in the Silicon Valley, the San Jose Sharks has been his team of inspiration. Mason has played hockey himself, which gives him a unique appreciation of hockey culture. As a result Mason has had the privilege to experiment in the creation of several hockey helmets and vintage masks made out of fiberglass for private clientele. This has taken him through the entire process from conceptualizing to building and finally painting.
In addition to sports, Mason is also a huge fan of music and movies. He grew up in a family of musicians. His dad was a full-time musician, playing with other famous musicians such as Tiran Porter & Dave Shogren (Doobie Brothers), Max Haskett (Rubicon) and Stef Burns (Y&T, Alice Cooper), whom Mason had the privilege of meeting in person and even playing some tunes as a kid in the recording studio. This unique experience has shaped his taste in music and has provided him with the opportunity to understand and play several string instruments such as guitar, mandolin, and bass, which eventually led him to experiment with painting on basses and guitars.
His mom worked over 25 years in the HP Television Department as a director and worked with famous people such as Robin Williams and Bill Gates. From his mom Mason gained an appreciation for movies and television and loves to point out script and continuity problems. This led to his fascination with special effects with how they work and incorporated that knowledge into his art.
In terms of education and training, Mason developed a real appreciation for art history. His favorite periods include the Renaissance, Baroque and Impressionism. He takes note of arrangement, color and style of these periods and incorporates them into his own art whenever it presents itself. While attending De Anza College and San Jose State University, Mason gained a reputation for his unorthodox methods which was not always accepted with more classically trained professors.
A solid knowledge of the medium being used is a must in order to create any project to its full potential. Mason enjoys the entire process from start to finish even when perfectly planned works don't go as such. Mason is always looking for new materials to use and different styles in which to experiment with.
