faculty

Mason Williams (b. 1995) is a passionate landscape painter and teacher from Carmel, California. A haven for plein air painting, Williams birthplace became instrumental in his journey as an artist. He received his BA in Studio Art from Principia College in 2017, but it wasnt until after he attended a summer artist residency at Otis College of Art and Design in 2018 that his artistic path came full circle. Inspired and motivated to grow his technical skill, Williams took a job back home as studio manager at Carmel Visual Arts. During this time, he began apprenticeships with renowned Carmel artists Jesse Powell and John Burton. It was under their tutelage that Williams discovered his love for the landscape and plein air painting. In 2022, Williams graduated from the Laguna College of Art and Design with his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Painting. He was also featured in the Southwest Art Magazine’s article 21 Under 31, Young Artists to Collect Now, and he has exhibited work at the Laguna Art Museum, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, the California Art Club, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Williams paintings are represented by two galleries in California, Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, and Skidmore Contemporary in Santa Monica.

Recently, Williams won the Landscape Award of Excellence for his painting in the Oil Painters of America Western Regional exhibition in Texas. Williams is also an adjunct professor for the Laguna College of Art and Design.