Mask Making

Detail of My Mask

Inspiration #3

Inspiration #1

Inspiration #2

Above are the three images that inspired my mask design. They are all examples of Venetian 'Carnivale' masks. Although the masks I looked at in our text and the African Art video I watched, I am drawn to the theatrics of Italian masks, particularly those worn before Lent in Venice. I love the color blue, and was particularly inspired by the juxtaposition of the gold face and blue feathers of Inspiration #2.

I have always had a fascination with masks; perhaps it was my early love affair in high school with Andrew Weber's Phantom of the Opera.The scene when everyone was at the masquerade ball was my favorite.

Or maybe it is my macabre fascination with the bubonic plague. I absolutely love the aesthetic design of plague masks, with the large beak-like nose that doctors stuffed with herbs, supposedly to help prevent breathing in the putrid plague germs.

And of course there are the Mardi Gras masks in New Orleans. The exquisite decorative masks are sold throughout the city, particularly in the French Quarter. I took pleasure in looking through every window display, the endless variety of mask styles captivated my imagination.

When I first attended Buffalo State College in the early 90's, I spent a Spring semester in Siena, Italy. While the Italians don't dress up for Halloween and trick-or-treating like we do in the U.S., there was a time before Lent when the youngsters were dressed up in costumes.

Initial Sketch for My Mask

Supplies used in the creation of My Mask

Some artists use clothes, exotic hair colors, piercings, make-up and tattoos to express their creativity on the outside. I present myself in a conventional, perhaps boring (?) way; I prefer solid colored tops and bottoms and use my purses or scarves to add a little excitement. But inside my mind colors are exploding - patterns, contrasts, compositions, I am constantly thinking about what I want to paint, everything I see is a potential inspiration. My mask is meant not only to conceal myself, it is also meant to reveal how I feel inside. Covering my face gives me the freedom to express myself.




The initial sketch for my mask was quite simple. I am a middle-aged mom of two young children, and I am back in college in a post-baccalaureate Art Education program that is preparing me to be certified to teach K-12. When I sketched my mask idea, I wanted to include crayons and sticks of chalk as design elements that are an homage to my chosen career as an art teacher. The top and bottom of my mask is divided with a curvy diagonal of gold paint, accented with multi-colored crystals. I chose cyan-colored acrylic for the top part of the mask because it is one-fourth of CMYK, and also my favorite color. The cool color tones were carried through with the blue and purple feathers, which added an interesting contrast to the warmth of the metallic gold paint.

Finished Mask, view 1

 I absolutely loved creating my mask. Making a mask to wear is a way for me to 'temporarily' try on a new look. I'm able to be flashy while keeping my real face hidden. A mask lends freedom to the wearer, you are able to be someone else, even do something the 'real' you wouldn't normally do. I varied slightly from my initial sketch. I added three rolls of crystals to add more texture and color, and to more emphatically divide the gold from the blue. I also added the bright pink feather between the eyes because it needed a central accent and also hid some of the points of the feather quills.

Finished Mask, frontal, view 2

Finished Mask, view 3