AN artist who uses old print presses to make unusual art has appealed for more information on the vintage equipment she uses.

Caroline Maas is inspired by locations around Oxfordshire to make her works, which she creates by etching layered colours on different metal plates.

But unlike the modern presses of today, which can whizz off about 30,000 copies of newspapers like the Oxford Mail at a time, the old-fashioned machinery is completely hand driven.

Ms Maas, from Stratford Street, East Oxford, uses an antique Rochart printing press at the Oxford Print Makers, in the Christadelphian Church, Tyndale Road, East Oxford.

She believes it was made at the turn of the 20th Century, but she has appealed for anyone studying these pictures who can shed more light on the history of her press to get in touch.

Ms Maas is exhibiting 21 pieces of work at the O3 Gallery, at Oxford Castle, until Sunday, March 18.

She added: “I fell in love with print-making about 20 or 30 years ago but it’s very, very low-tech.

“It can be a very time-consuming process. It goes on forever and you don’t know quite what you’re going to get out of it until it’s printed.

“You have to do a lot of planning and the possibilities for mistakes are absolutely endless, but half the time I don’t mind a little mistake or a great big whopping mistake.

“One of the works I have created with the press shows a view over beautiful countryside, and then a blasted ring road cutting through it.

“I like layers, layers of time, of experience, of colour, element of chance, the happy accidents.”

Ms Maas makes modern art interpretations of Oxfordshire landscapes, Oxford’s world-famous architecture and other south east cityscapes using this historic printing press.

She began studying painting in 1982 at Oxford College of Further Education before moving to Richmond Adult College.

If you know anything about the history of Ms Mass’s printing press please contact Amanda Williams on 01865 425426.