Maxwell McMaster

Golden State Of Mind

California. As an inspiration, it is a cornucopia of colors. A palette of emerald from the north coast would dramatically differ from pale pastels of the deserts in the extreme Southeast. From Eureka to San Diego, it’s a massive state, an amalgamation of the entire planet in one 840-mile stretch, north to south. Maxwell McMaster, a native of Central California, now based in Los Angeles, captures a particular mood and aesthetic of the romanticism of the Golden State. With sunset hues and coastal vantage points, McMaster taps into a subconscious and flat, dreamy depiction of home and place, one that doesn’t necessarily make him an pastoral or environmental artist, but someone who channels space in unique ways.

Evan Pricco: Let's kick this off with the folksy part of your work: do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Maxwell McMaster: I’m into sunrises right now, since I don’t see them as often. They’re more rare for me. So maybe I don’t know as much about them, they’re not so familiar. There’s also something about the idea of new beginnings that I like. However, I typically paint sunsets. I love the colors and observing how they change with time and the seasons.

You grew up in Sacramento, right? I always think of Central California as a hotbed of creative talent. So much has come from there. Did you feel that growing up?

Yeah, Sacramento. It starts with my Dad and music: growing up with a dad who’s a musician and listening to music from the 1960s and ’70s. What I didn’t know at the time was about the hippie movement in the Bay and Los Angeles. My parents grew up a little after that wave, but it was still present. Growing up with that music and culture in my house that was a huge influence.