Time on My Hands, a Mask on My Head

“So much time and so little to do.  Wait a minute.  Strike that.  Reverse it.”

- Willy Wonka

Often when we have our monthly Art Quilt Group and I bring my latest creation(s), they ask how I come up with the time, or if I find time for anything else.  And, yes, I do find time for many other things (except maybe frequent blog postings!), but I also make time for creativity.  I’m motivated and committed.  As stated before, I’ve found the connection between creating and being happy, so it’s worth my while to keep the cycle going.

Of course there are ebbs and flows between the creative flurry and deciding on the next project.  That’s where I am now.  The project for October was to create a mask, a challenge I issued to the group at the September meeting.  My mask is at a stage of finishing, but there’s more I want to do, and I’d like to make some accompanying pieces to round it out as a sort of costume.  Not that I have big Halloween plans, but sometimes you’ve just got to follow the vision.

Here’s the mask…so far.  The next steps have to do with finishing out the back and possibly adding a bit more at the sides below the horns.

Here’s a closer view.  Darn the changing season and disappearing daylight!  I haven’t been able to get better pictures in natural light.

Process-wise, I started with a plaster cast of my face from tip of nose to above my forehead.  Then I formed the beak from wire and paper machéd that onto the plaster.  The horns and curly antlers were also made from wire/paper maché and applied to the plaster.  Most of the fabric is applied with spray adhesive.  I wanted to do some actual quilting, so muslin templates were made for the beak and subsequently pieced/quilted.  The curly antlers are painted.  The hair is dyed jute and sisal twine, along with some combed out yarn.  The “feathers” are made from netting, wire, and fabric.

In the name of “everything and the kitchen sink” I added a couple clusters of glittery green Christmas berry decorations.  It’s only October, but the decorations have been in the stores for over a month already, so it’s a good time to look at seasonal items in a new way or for a different purpose.  Obviously, they’re very decorative, so why not use them to embellish?  Even if you’re not working sculpturally, there are many two-dimensional items that can be used on flat projects that won’t need to go through the laundry.

The mask needs finishing, but I’m also eager to get started on another project…whichever one that will be – there are two or three in the idea development stage!  That’s the thing about turning on the creativity switch:  you want to keep it turned on, keep moving forward, let the ideas evolve, and hopefully not stifle the process with inactivity or self-censoring.  If nothing else, jot the ideas down in a sketchbook and let more ideas just keep coming.

Instead of a regular meeting for October, we had a potluck brunch and fabric dying party in the backyard of one of the group members.  It was fun, and I got to experiment with indigo dying.  I’m sure I’ll be doing more of that in the future.  It’s really amazing to watch the colors turn right before your eyes as the oxygen hits the indigo.

There’s no group challenge for November, so the options are wide open.  Let’s just see what I can make time for….  Be encouraged to make time for your own creativity – you’ll be happy you did!