Famed watercolorist’s retrospective at WOU
A reception for artist Harold Mason’s retrospective is set for 2-4 p.m., Saturday, June 8, at the Wayne and Lynn Hamersly Library, Western Oregon University. Photo submitted.
A retrospective featuring art by famed watercolorist Harold Mason continues into September at the Wayne and Lynn Hamersly Library, Western Oregon University.
The public is also invited to a reception, 2-4 p.m., Saturday, June 8, also at the library.
For some, the restrospective will be an introduction to the former Monmouth resident’s artistry. For others, it’s a chance to say good-bye.
“It’s coming up on the second anniversary of Harold’s death in August,” said Sue Mason, his wife and art partner for 61 years. “I’m looking at this retrospective as my farewell to some of Harold’s art that I’ve enjoyed here in my home. But I want his art to go on living. I don’t think we ever own art. I think art finds a way.”
Half of all sales proceeds are dedicated for scholarships for the university’s art department.
Harold Mason was a famed artist and former Monmouth resident. Submitted photo.
The Masons worked closely together throughout their long marriage. So Sue was surprised when she discovered two studies by Harold - abstracts and birds - that were unknown to her. Bird prints will likely be exhibited at the show, but they won’t be on sale. Instead they’ve been gifted to Salem Audubon.
Sue believes Harold began drawing birds after taking up birdwatching as a hobby.
“He must have had a sketchbook,” she said. “We were very good about sharing our work. But Harold was very prolific. He had his own studio.”
The couple lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Maine. They returned to the West Coast in 2004, lured to Monmouth by its affordability and small college vibe.
The Masons found inspiration wherever they lived. Oregon was no exception.
“We were so in love with the countryside and the nature and the ocean,” Sue said. “Even though we lived in Carmel for 17 years, Oregon’s coastline is unforgettable. It’s wild and yet welcoming at the same time.”
The couple also found inspiration closer to home.
“We enjoyed that we could go sketching anywhere,” Sue said. “We could go to Independence and find wonderful places to sketch. And we loved Portland.”
One of the seascapes by Harold Mason. Submitted photo.
Harold didn’t start painting seascapes until years after they moved from the Central California coast. E. John Robinson, an old friend from the Masons’ Carmel days, tried to entice Harold into painting seascapes. But Harold was consumed by other pursuits at the time.
“When we moved to Oregon, Harold tried to connect with John on the internet, only to discover that his friend had died,” Sue said. “Robinson was famous for his seascapes. So, just as a tribute to John, Harold did a seascape. Well, he found that he loved seascapes. And, of course, they were just out of his imagination. But living on the coast for as long as we did, he did beautiful landscapes.”
In the early 1970s, Harold studied illustration while at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His hope was to illustrate children’s books. He completed 19 illustrations. Half were in black and white; half were in color. These drawings eventually ended up in a drawer, where they remained for the next 50 years.
After Harold’s death, Sue connected with writer Grant Holt. He wrote poems to accompany the illustrations. The collaboration resulted in a children’s book, “Circus Circus,” that was self-published. Copies of it are on sale during the retrospective.
Harold was a successful and talented watercolorist in the San Francisco Bay Area and on the Monterey Bay peninsula for more than 30 years.
He sold at galleries in Phoenix and Seattle. Then, in the 1990s, Harold retired from gallery exhibiting to pursue residential architectural design and architectural illustration work.
He was a member of many prestigious organizations, including Carmel Art Association, Society of Western Artists and the West Coast Watercolor Society.
The Hamersly Library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is closed on holidays. The exhibit is on the second and third floors.
Special arrangements can by made by calling 503-838-8418.
Six years ago the Masons had a joint show at the Cannon Art Gallery, which is on the WOU campus. It was the couple’s only joint show.
