Masks

The three masks I picked as inspiration are as follows.  Unfortunately, the pictures were copyrighted and they would not post to this blog, so I added the links to the masks instead.

I picked a parrot mask because I like birds.  This mask has two layers of feathers on the top that are blue and green.  A white area separates the top from the bottom – it has two holes for eyes with black lines.  There is a large black beak in the middle of the mask.  There are yellow feathers on the bottom as well as a strange yellow and orange checkerboard pattern near the ears.  I thought the beak was an interesting way to make it 3D, which is also a good demonstration of the principle of “space.”  I think this mask shows rhythm through the repeating use of black lines surrounding the eyes.  It also shows balance and unity by having the shape of the feathers being repeated from one side of the piece to the other.

Parrot Mask

I picked a human face mask because it made me laugh.  This mask looks like an exaggerated human face.  The forehead has many wrinkles and the nose is huge and hook-like.  The lips are low on the face and very close to the chin.  The mouth is open, showing a row of white teeth.  The eyes have wrinkles around them and are set wide on the face.  I think this mask shows line because of the wrinkles throughout the face.  Since the mask was rather plain compared to the others, I think the plain peach color is an important element.  Finally, I think the wrinkles form a pattern throughout the mask.

Human Face Mask 

I picked the Ecuadorian Huaco mask because I’m wearing a striped shirt and the mask is also striped.  It is a papier mache mask in the form of a human face that includes black eyebrows, blue eyes outlined in black, holes for nostrils, and an opening for a mouth with red lips and teeth. There are also yellow, blue, and red lines drawn evenly across the mask. Therefore, the main elements in the mask are line and color. However, form and shape is also important, as it is a 3d mask.

Huaco Mask 

I think the most important principles of my mask are texture, shape, color, and rhythm.  The "beard" of my mask is made of twirly yarn, which has a soft feel and a curly-q shape - an excellent demonstration of texture.  The two eyes are large circles, the face itself is an oval, and the holes used for the beard are circles, so I think shape is definitely an important part of my piece.  The dark teal color is repeated throughout the piece in the nose, lips, and beard, so color is an important aspect of my mask.  Finally, the strands of the beard are repeated several times throughout the mask, which emphasizes rhythm.

Making this mask was pretty fun.  I like my mask - when I walked into a room with it on, it made some people laugh, which was enjoyable for me.  It was kind of tedious to pull the beard strands through their holes and tie them into knots, but I enjoyed seeing the final product.  I also liked making the over-emphasized features of the nose, lips, and eyes (which remind me of aviator sunglasses).  Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable project.