Mark Seekins
of Prints on The Trail

This August and September, we’re excited to welcome Mark Seekins of Prints On The Trail as The Barn’s featured artist.

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For Mark, printmaking is all about the places we leave behind and the places that leave a mark on us. He creates each piece by hand, carving his designs into a block before pressing and pulling each print himself. Much of his work is inspired by the trails he’s hiked, the landscapes he’s explored, and the places that have become part of his own story.

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Mark first discovered printmaking as a kid, creating a few prints in junior high and high school art classes. After stepping away from the medium for years, he returned to it in earnest during the pandemic, rediscovering the joy of carving, printing, and creating something entirely by hand.

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Since then, Prints On The Trail has taken Mark’s work well beyond his own studio. His prints can be found in shops throughout Sisters and Bend, as well as in communities across the country. One of his most memorable projects was working with illustrator Tim Green on the rebrand of the five original Game of Thrones books. Mark created prints of Green’s illustrations that ultimately became the covers for the books, a project he says he still has to pinch himself over whenever he spots them in a bookstore.

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But for Mark, the most rewarding part of making art isn't seeing where his prints end up. It’s seeing someone connect with a piece because it brings back a memory of their own time outside, on a trail, or somewhere wild.