Debby Mason is a printmaker who draws inspiration from marine life. She uses traditional printmaking techniques like etching, engraving, and lithography to create prints of fish, sea horses, cephalopods, and other underwater creatures. Mason studied printmaking in college and now sells and exhibits her work around the world. She is passionate about conservation and uses her art to bring awareness to threats facing marine animals.

1. Printmaking Debby Mason Printmaking Debby Mason

3. About Me I Draw fish for a living! I etch & print using traditional techniques to create my work Sell & exhibit my work around the world, via website etc.. Plymouth College A Levels Exeter College of Art & Design Foundation Course West Surrey College of Art & Design, BA (Hons) in Print Making Live and work in Plymouth

4. My Inspiration Childhood Memories Monaco Rock Pooling & Crabbing The underwater world of Jacques Cousteau Jules Verne Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl Old Four Legs – The story of the Coelacanth

5. My Inspiration Scuba Diving I am a keen diver, both in my home waters of Plymouth Sound and occasional diving trips abroad for inspiration! Study in detail marine life in their natural habitat And sometimes Supper!

6. What is a print? Prints A print is an image produced on paper or another material by placing it in contact with an inked block, plate, collage or stone and applying pressure; or by pressing ink onto a piece of paper through a stencil. Advantages The advantages of printmaking over painting or drawing is that you are creating more than one copy i.e. multiples or editions Editions An artist normally produces a limited edition and signs and numbers each print. 1/50

7. Printmaking methods Relief Prints Woodcut, Wood Engraving, Linocuts & Potato Prints! Intaglio Engraving, Aquatint, Drypoint, Etching & Mezzotint Surface Printing Lithography Screen-printing Mezzotint Etching

8. Researching an idea Visit aquariums, museums and institutes Sketch & draw Work from life & my photo’s for detail

9. Argonaut

10. Printmaking Debby Mason Platemaking & Printing

11. Etching - Preparing the copper plate Wax Ground Smoking the plate Creating the image Referring to sketches Finishing touches

12. Etching the plate A plate ready to etch Etching in acid Cleaning the plate The image emerges Ready for printing…

13. Printing Process for one print! Warming and inking the etched plate Wiping the plate Laying the plate on the bed of the press Laying damp paper over the plate Rolling plate through the press (Victorian Mangle) The printed image emerges Finished print Plate ready for re-inking etc…

14. Printmaking Debby Mason Examples of my work

15. Argonaut

16. Sea Pony

17. Flying Fish & Sunfish

18. Seahorses

19. Cephalopods

20. Fishes

21. Sea Dragons

22. Printmaking Debby Mason Exhibitions & Craft fairs (How I make my living!)

23. My Work & Exhibitions Exhibitions 2001 ongoing ZSL London 2004 Aquarium Finisterrae in La Coruna, Spain 2004 National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth 2006/7 L’Oceanografic in Valencia 2007 ‘The Deep’ in Hull until Jan 2008 2007 Dartmouth - Higher Street Gallery 2007 - The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

24. Craft fairs Craft fairs: selling prints, textiles, cards, bags, aprons & mugs also www.debbymason.com

25. Printmaking Debby Mason Conservation

26. Conservation “ I feel most strongly that we constantly take and profit from the sea and put very little of any good back in to it” In the North Sea 16lbs of marine creatures are destroyed by beam trawls for every… 1lb of marketable sole! Beam trawler by catch

27. Conservation 1 Kilo of dried sea horses is worth more than 1 Kilo of silver!

28. Sea Horse & Turtle Conservation

29. Thank you for listening! Any questions?