We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mason Jar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mason, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

All of my knowledge in illustration can be traced back to life drawing. For those who don’t know, life drawing (or figure drawing) are open classes where people pay to draw nude models holding a variety of poses. It feels very traditional, like something you might see in an art history textbook. But it’s still practiced by artists today and I have found the skills it’s given me to be fundamental.

It has taught me to be quick, consistent, but also patient with my own process. I am not a technically gifted illustrator and I have had to struggle my way through acquiring my visual vocabulary. But at this point, I can say what I want to say.

It’s also very humbling since you’ll see other artists who exceed your skill level. You watch them struggle too, somehow dissatisfied with their drawings despite being many levels above you. It really puts things into perspective – this is an ongoing craft. I see myself practicing it well into my old age. Hopefully I’m a bit better at that point.

Life drawing has encouraged me to draw in groups. Finding clubs and collectives to draw with has elevated my work. I constantly find myself surrounded by artists who I aspire to. The only thing that has really stood in the way is my own bad attitude. I’m working on that too.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m mostly known for my oil paintings. I’ve gone through a few phases and styles, from portraiture to interiors and landscapes. All of which portray an eerie sense of loneliness or decay. I think my work makes people feel understood, like those personal feelings are being reciprocated by others. I’m often surprised by how much people connect with it, which hopefully means it’s not garbage.

It’s important to me to flex my technique, because I do possess those fundamental skills. I want my clients and buyers to see the many hours of time I’ve dumped into the process, if for no other reason to make them realize its value. But honestly, I just have my own standard and I can’t stand putting out work that doesn’t meet it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was rejected from art school because I sucked at painting.

I was 19 and trying to get accepted into Sheridan College for Illustration. Their program is very prestigious and I really wanted that validation. But I had not put in the time to understand my own technique.

The rejection kind of fueled an obsession. I became very dedicated to improving my fundamentals through figure drawing and painting. It was a bit of an ego trip, for better or for worse. Years later, I realize I’m in the same boat as a lot of Sheridan graduates. Unemployed and ridiculously over-qualified. I guess I got what I was searching for.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Take off the white gloves and try doing some art yourself. The general public seems very detached from art and its value despite consuming media and tv constantly. I think it would really help if non-artists took it upon themselves to try it even if it doesn’t look good or professional. That’s why I’m trying to facilitate workshops geared towards beginners as an introduction for new artists. I want people to understand and appreciate the skill required to make something beautiful. On top of that, I really believe making art is criminally underrated as a means of maintaining good metal health. As a society we should be more aware of its benefits and normalize art making as an accessible form of therapy or meditation.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mxsonjxr
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/masonbc
• Other: [email protected]