Hello, and welcome to the website for Artist Barbara Mason.

I work largely in my own printmaking studio in Aloha, 15 miles west of Portland, Oregon. A lifelong artist, I began studying printmaking in the early 1980s and was immediately enamored with the medium. I have made monotypes since the early 1980s, and five years ago included block prints and solar plate intaglio prints in my portfolio.

My interest in the recently refined solarplate etching process has propelled my work into a new direction. Most of the prints here are individual or done in multiples, in editions of 20 or less. This exciting non objective work seeks to portray the balance in life as well as the choices made by us as humans.

About the Process

When using the Solarplate intaglio process, the printmaking plate has a polymer photosensitive surface attached to a steel backing. I work on clear Mylar with crayon, ink and china marker pencils to get the image I want. Then the image is transferred to the plate using UV light (sunlight works) and eventually washed out in water. The plate is hardened in the sun and printed as a traditional etching plate, with the ink squeegeed into the lines and recesses in the plate and then wiping the surface clean. The plate is then printed on damp 100% cotton rag paper using an etching press.

About this Series of Work

This body of work represents the fragility of us as human beings, but also our inner strength. This strength of spirit amazes most of us. When we find we need it, it is there and seems to be in almost everyone I know to some degree. We rally to the situation and go on.