Diane sculpts what she has studied and loved all of her life – animals. At PurdueUniversity, 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 viewerand 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 18 years, including the Society of Animal Artists’ Annual Exhibitions; the National Sculpture Society’s Annual Awards Exhibitions; 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 runner-up to Best in Show (American Women Artists, 2005); the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Award (International Exhibition on Animals in Art, 2003); Best in Show (International Exhibition on Animals in Art, 2010), and the Marilyn Newmark Memorial award for sculpture (SAA, 2018).
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.