David Masterson was born in 1957 in Middeltown Kentucky and moved to Dallas Texas in 1959. Raised by artistic parents and three older brothers (all artists in their own right), David was taught to see life as art all around him from a young age. His life as an artist started in the 1960’s during an era of Woodstock, hippies and The Vietnam War. In 1969, at the age of 12, David attended the International Pop Festival, where he was introduced to musical artists such as, Janis Joplin, BB King, Led Zeppelin along with the artwork of Salvador Dali and Peter Max. Growing up in such an influential era prompted David’s appreciation of the arts.
Shown here: a Jimmy Hendrix art piece by David Masterson
Shown here: David in high school - 1971, Texas
ART BARN: At what age did you become interested in art?
DAVID: I was introduced to art by my mother at a very early age. We used to have a table covered with white formica. She would let me draw with a pencil all over the table. Then, when my pencil masterpiece was complete, she would spray cleaner and wipe it away. This gave me the idea that art could be on any surface; it opened my mind to endless possibilities!
ART BARN: Was there a certain individual or experience that inspired your artistic talent?
DAVID: Both of my parents were very creative and artistic. They taught me to see the world thru a lens of viewing everything as art around me. In the 3rd grade, I entered a city wide art competition in Dallas which landed me a summer study at SMU. My instructor was from France and offered me enough creative fuel to last ten lifetimes. I was born an artist that summer...
ART BARN: What is your favorite art medium?
DAVID: Painting on big canvas is my first love but I also enjoy sculpture and have plans to work with concrete & composite to create large public art sculptures. Currently, I use acrylic paint, along with texturizing materials, on canvas. Years back, I painted on wood and old doors.
Shown here: paintings on old wooden doors by David Masterson
ART BARN: What are your favorite genres?
DAVID: Abstract, Impressionistic and some Surrealism.
Shown here: Impressionistic inspired painting by David Masterson
ART BARN: Do you have a hero or role model who inspires your paintings?
DAVID: Yes. All of the Impressionistic painters like Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Renoir and also artists such as, Maxfield Parish, MC Etcher and Salvador Dali.
ART BARN: How did you learn how to paint? Do you have any formal training?
DAVID: I attended Steven F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas (the oldest town in Texas) where I majored in Fine Art and minored in Interior Design. Mostly, I am self taught but there were a few professors at the school who guided me. Like the famous Impressionist painters used to do, I did lots of studies where I’d paint the same scene over and over again and notice the differences in each painting. However, now most of my paintings start with no intention at all. I sit in front of a canvas and explore.
Shown here: rose painting by David Masterson
ART BARN: In 2018, you painted the exterior of your 900 sq. ft. gallery using a technique called, Pointilism. How long did this take you and what inspired you?
DAVID: yes, it took me three days using a 1 inch brush. My inspiration was that it was a huge open canvas! I enjoy the meditative aspect of Pointilism; using many dots and dashes to create art.
Shown here: David Masterson, painting his 900 sq. ft. art gallery, one dot at a time.
ART BARN: Much of your artwork includes your David’s World Series Collection. Will you tell our readers about David’s World and your vision for it?
DAVID: Yes. The David’s World Collection is something I have been working on for 20 years. The series hosts a full array of animals, insects and shapes. It’s a world where people can lose themselves and find magic and mystery, creating their own story as they take the painting in.
Shown here: a David’s World painting demonstrating Masterson’s use of repetitive patterns
ART BARN: In David’s World paintings, I notice a theme of flying horse like creatures. Can you expound on this?
DAVID: I put different types of horses into my David’s World paintings: unicorn horses, Aquatic horses, Dalmation horses...Metaphorically speaking, the horses represent freedom. You’ll also notice a theme of patterns. I really like <exploring> patterns.
Shown here: a David’s World painting with unicorn horses by David Masterson
ART BARN: Where do you get the ideas for the David’s World Series?
DAVID: From memories, and vivid dreams. I keep a voice recorder and a pencil and pad of paper on my night stand. In the early morning hours, when I am teetering in a space of awake and asleep, I come up with good ideas.
Shown here: an abstract painting by David Masterson
ART BARN: Fascinating! What is your vision for David’s World?
DAVID: : Ideally, I envision my David’s World Series on display in Children’s Hospitals all over the country as a therapeutic alternative for the children and their families. Children can stare at a David’s World paintings and be taken to a place in their imagination that is theirs and theirs alone, as they sit and wait for procedures or lay in their hospital bed, or perhaps in common areas where friends and family gather they explore paintings filled with color and images. Then, unknown to the kids, I come in one night to consult with the hospital staff to learn about patients and specifics about their lives.’ For instance, maybe one child has a white poodle named Daisy and a favorite red wagon. Then, I paint her white poodle, Daisy and her red wagon into the giant painting. So, the next time she sees my painting, she see’s details of her life in it. What? Yes, It becomes somewhat personalized for her and even for the staff. Then, I find out details about another patient’s life, and add personalized touch for them, and on and on. You get the idea. The paintings keep growing and generating “buzz” in what can be a depressing environment; Magical Paintings that somehow create images that patients relate to in a big way!
Shown here: a completed David’s World masterpiece
ART BARN: What a wonderful concept! Thank you for sharing your vision and passion behind David’s World!
DAVID: Of course. I would encourage anyone who is interested in seeing the The David’s World Series in hospitals around the country, to reach out to me. I am very open to ideas and volunteering my time to make this idea come to fruition and flourish.
ART BARN: Absolutely. I will make sure our readers know how to reach you at the bottom of this interview. So, David, behind the scenes of our interview, you were telling me about various shows you have participated in, commissioned artwork you’ve done and places where your artwork is on display...
DAVID: There are people that have my work hanging in their homes or offices all over the world. I have artwork in South America, North America, France, Jamaica, and on. I have done many commissioned works along with public works. I do many juried art shows and have five planned for 2019, thus far. I won Best of Show in 2018 at Turtle Creek in Dallas. My works appeal to a wide range of folks because I dabble in various genres and use a wide variety of colors and techniques. I have had art on display at Starbucks, restaurants and art schools throughout Dallas. A few years ago, I was asked to paint publicly on the 47th floor of The Thanksgiving Tower in Downtown Dallas for the Zambezi Orphans Fund. It was a black tie event where I was placed right next to a glass wall, overlooking Dallas Skyline. People were watching me as I created city scape scenes on location. It was totally outside of my comfort zone but I painted five abstracts that night and sold all five. The event staff would come take my painting off the easel while it was still wet, and then take it into another room to auction off as I started my next painting on a blank canvas. Quite the experience!
Shown here: 47th floor of The Thanksgiving Tower, overlooking the Dallas skyline and Best in Show.
ART BARN: Sounds like an amazing experience! I recently had the pleasure of coming into your studio and painting. Is this something you offer to the public on a regular basis?
DAVID: Yes, I currently offer opportunities for folks to set up an appointment to come in and paint. I offer wine and appetizers and it’s a great way to spend time with family and friends. I am also working on renovating part of my building and turning it into an art institute. Here, I will offer an ‘open canvas’ experience for children and adults at no charge. I want to create opportunities for people to experience art.
Shown here: a blank canvas awaiting a creative soul
ART BARN: That is so great! You and I talked some about using art as a coping mechanism...
DAVID: Art and especially abstract art can be extremely therapeutic and liberating. When I lost my Dad, I worked through a lot of turmoil on canvas and it was a very reflective experience for me.
Shown here: abstract painting by David Masterson
ART BARN: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
DAVID: My Motto: “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions” - Oliver Wendell Holmes < It’s a scientific fact that your mind gets bigger when you think!>
Shown here: abstract painting by David Masterson
David Masterson currently resides in Center, which is small town in East Texas. He spends his time painting the world around him with his imagination and painting canvases in his beautiful Davmar Gallery, an old bank built in 1903. When you walk thru the front door of David’s art gallery, the visually appealing atmosphere will put you at ease as you are invited to immerse your hands in a vintage bathtub full of Orbeez water beads and offered an opportunity to paint on a giant canvas or flip through his hanging rack of beautiful painted raw canvases (some will even still be wet). Everything about the atmosphere in Davmar Gallery brings pleasure to the senses! With big plans for his artwork, David welcomes anyone to become a part of David’s World. In a remote part of the country, he is a diamond in the rough with an unprecedented creative mind and artistic vision.
Shown here: bathtub full of water beads in entrance of DavMar Gallery
For more information about David and his artwork, find him on:
Facebook: Davis Masterson
instagram: @davidmasterson1957
visit his website:
www.davidwmasterson.com
Email David at: davmargallery@gmail.com
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