Biography
Profile
Born in 1961 and a graduate of Saint Martins School of Art, Greg Mason AROI is a modern figurative painter creating atmospheric works that are visually and technically striking whilst holding a deeper narrative.
He is an associate of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Academician with the South West Academy of Art, Professional Oil Painting Ambassador for Cass Art and a recent finalist on both Sky Arts Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year TV shows.
Greg has travelled extensively, painting plein air in many locations around the world, including a residency in Italy and teaching workshops in the South of France.
Greg says, “There is always an energy or a nuance of relationship between light, colour and texture that I seek to capture. The resulting work is always about a ‘moment’ – by which I mean it looks to contain my personal feelings and experience of the encounter rather than being solely representational. The ‘moment’ always comes from a beginning, a session with a live model in the studio exploring a new idea, a plein air painting after backpacking my easel for miles up a mountain or a photograph spontaneously captured on my phone.”
Qualifications and Shows
- Academician with SWAFAA (South West Academy of Fine & Applied Arts)
- CASS Art Professional Ambassador for Oil Painting
- BA Hons Saint Martin School of Art
- ROI, RP and RWA exhibitor
2020
ROI Mall Galleries, London
The Affordable Art Fair, London with Noon Powell
2019
Clarendon Fine Art UK Gallery Tour
Lime Tree Gallery, Bristol
The Affordable Art Fair, London with Noon Powell
2018
SKY Arts Landscape Artist of the Year - Finalist
Clarendon Fine Art Mayfair and UK tour
Solo Exhibition: AFTER SHOCK at Cass Art Islington, London
RWA Bristol
ROI Mall Galleries, London
2017
SKY Arts Portrait Artist of the Year - Semi-Finalist
The Wallace Collection, London
RP Mall Galleries, London
RWA Open Exhibition, Bristol
The Other Art Fair, London
Tonic Gallery, Salcombe - Solo Show
Jackson's Art Prize 2017 Shortlist
2016
The Other Art Fair London and Bristol
ROI Mall Galleries Finalist
Pre-2016
The Affordable Art Fair London and Bristol
South West Academy Prize Winner
Hybrid Gallery, Honiton
Red Dot Award Winner
Background
Studio
Greg's studio is in Exeter, Devon - but much of his work is carried out abroad, whilst travelling on residencies or on commissions. He also teaches regularly at Cass Art in London and Bristol, as well as running painting workshops in South West France and Mallorca.
Activities
Greg featured on Sky Arts as a contestant in the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 series and as finalist in the 2018 Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year. He has also been a finalist in a number of major painting competitions and has work in private collections all over the world.
Beyond and Before
Beyond painting, I love to travel the world and encounter different cultures and remote, wild places. I also have a studio in Mallorca. Before I painted, I worked as an art director in the fashion industry for brands like Vidal Sassoon and Aveda – directing photo shoots and creating on-line identities and building education resources for hairdressers all over the world.
Press and Reviews
Social Media
www.gregorymason.com
https://www.instagram.com/gregorymason_art/
https://www.facebook.com/gregorymasonpaintings/
http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/GregoryMason
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-mason-58120182/
https://twitter.com/gregorymasonart
Art Aesthetics Review
'After Shock' Show London 2018 by Lauren Amalia
https://www.artaesthetics.net/publications/2018/4/5/gregory-mason-paradoxes-in-the-paint
Lime Tree Show Review 2019
https://www.bristol247.com/culture/art/preview-every-kind-of-people-lime-tree-gallery-bristol/
SKY ARTS TV
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018 Finalist Article
https://www.cassart.co.uk/blog/sky_arts_landscape_artist_of_the_year_exclusive_semi-finalists_interviews.htm
Sponsors of Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 review of Greg's Heat Win.
https://www.cassart.co.uk/articles/sky_arts_gregory_mason.htm?trackterm=mason
The Other Art Fair London
Chosen by Kate Bryan as her top pick for the Saatchi show 2017 at The Other Art Fair London.
https://canvas.saatchiart.com/the-other-art-fair/kate-bryans-5-must-see-artists-at-the-other-art-fair-london
Devon Life Magazine
Article on Greg's Sky Arts Portrait Entry
http://www.devonlife.co.uk/people/exeter-artist-takes-part-in-sky-arts-portrait-artist-of-the-year-1-4883472
Article on Greg's Sky Arts Competition
http://www.devonlife.co.uk/people/exeter-artist-is-a-semi-finalist-of-sky-arts-portrait-artist-of-the-year-1-4898548
Jackson's Art Prize 2017 Shortlist
https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2017/09/22/mussini-oil-painting-competition-shortlist-announced/