Diane Mason

Diane sculpts what she has studied and loved all of her life – animals.  At Purdue
University, she obtained a degree in Ethology (animal behavior).  In the 80’s, she
traveled the mid-west art show circuit with her scratchboard drawings; in the early 90’s,
she discovered sculpture… and never looked back.  She attempts to capture the
essence of the animals she sculpts, often using a touch of humor to draw in the viewer
and tempt them to explore the concept that we humans aren’t as different from the rest
of the animal kingdom as we may think. Her work has been showcased in many
prestigious exhibitions in the past 15 years, including the Society of Animal
Artists’ Annual Exhibitions; the National Sculpture Society’s Annual Awards
Exhibitions; Sculpture in the Park (Loveland, CO); Sculpture in the Park
(Loveland, CO); Birds in Art; Bennington’s “Art of the Animal Kingdom”; the
“International Exhibition on Animals in Art”; the annual exhibitions of
the American Women Artists, and the annual “NatureWorks” Show and Sale in
Tulsa, OK, among others.  Her works have received numerous awards
including the Leonard J. Meiselman Award for a Realistic Sculpture in the
Academic Manner (Society of Animal Artists, 2003); Best Sculpture and
unner-up to Best in Show (American Women Artists, 2005); the American
Veterinary Medical Association’s Award (International Exhibition on Animals in
Art, 2003), and Best in Show (International Exhibition on Animals in Art, 2010).
She has been noted as an “Artist to Watch” in SOUTHWEST ART magazine,
and was also featured in an article on her work in the same magazine in
April of 2008. Her work is also included in the book “Sculpture of the Rockies”
published by Southwest Art magazine. Mason’s works can be found in many
private collections in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Public collections include
the cities of Summerville, SC; Edmund, OK; Cheyenne, WY; the Frederick
Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI; the Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens on
Kauai, HI; the City/County Library in Tulsa, OK; and Quill Corporation,
Palatine, IL. Her greatest honor, however, has been serving as the President
of the internationally-renowned Society of Animal Artists from 2009 through 2013.