Edge of Urge models wearing masks

My masks were featured on the Edge of Urge blog as a top pick of the week!

Pam the Mermaid

Yesterday I finished a mermaid mask for my friend and fellow Acme Artist, Pam Toll. She showed it off last night during the 4th Friday gallery hop at Acme. It's a special mask for a great person and I was happy that she was pleased with it. We did it as an art trade, so she let me pick out one of her fabulous collages. I'll post a photo of it later on. Pam is a well respected Wilmington artist who teaches at UNCW. She is the co-founder of Acme Studios and No Boundaries Art Colony on Bald Head Island. Her work hangs in collections all over the world.




I'm still amazed at how much you can do with leather. It's so pliable. Check out these photos of me creating the mask:

Creature from the Black Lagoon and 'ol Long Horns - Sold

Captain of the Imperial Guard

Today I did a little brain storming for a new commission I'm working on. The client wanted something related to the concept of "Captain of the Imperial Guard". I really went wild with this one. I tried to give it a "helmet" of sorts by layering up the leather. I have also created a face guard that will snap on for full facial coverage but will be removable for eating, etc.


As you can see by the piles of cut paper on my work table, I make templates for my masks by trial and error. Once I get the design right on paper, I move on to cutting the leather.


Here's my friend Michael Van Hout modeling it for me. : )

Owl Masks

Last week I was challenged to create an owl mask. Once I got started, I couldn't stop. I looked at various photographs of owls in their natural settings and realized that owls come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Obviously, not purple, bronze, or silver but hey, I took this opportunity to use my artistic license. I'll be the first to admit that the last two styles of masks look like Viking Owls, but that's what I love about them. I ventured out into layering pieces of cut leather using leather cement. This adds more of a "feathery" look. The almond shaped beak took a minute to get right but I think it's actually the most comfortable mask style of all of the ones I've done so far. And, I was able to master the fine art of tying an adjustable elastic strap. Now they are suitable for all heads -- big and small. The paint job on these is more elaborate too. I have several layers and washes of color (especially on the last two), which gives it depth and dimension.









My brain is constantly on overload with ideas for working with leather. There are so many possibilities. I will also be posting a photo of the mask with the long horns. It turned out great! Who knew leather could stand on its own like that?

Masks At the Edge of Urge

I just delivered all of my new masks to the Edge of Urge, a great boutique located right downtown on Market Street in Wilmington. There are only 11 left so hurry out to grab yours before they're gone.







Check out the slideshow of all the masks.

Mer-mask

The colors of this recently finished mask reminds me of a merman. I just added two masks to my online Etsy shop. If you are interested in purchasing this or any of the other masks you've seen on my blog, you can contact me directly. This mask is $80 and $7.00 in shipping.

Masks - the new hotcake

Today I finished painting this leather mask but it was sold before I left the studio.

Productive Day in the Studio

Last week I spent a full day cleaning out my studio. Things got a little crazy during the wheel banner project and so I had to take a breath and carve out some space for other work. A clean studio space does soooo much for my productivity level. I really got a lot done yesterday and enjoyed being inside while the rain poured outside. I lit some incense, brewed a fresh pot of coffee, and listened to "A Painted House" while I worked.
The first thing I did was to screenprint some more totes to take over to the Edge of Urge, a cool shop on Market Street that sells my wares. This time I printed on two different sizes of organic cotton totes I ordered online. I can't wait to drop these off, especially since I have my new hang tags in.



I was also able to finish painting another mask. I really like the way this one turned out. I had to work fast because I was trying to blend so many colors to get a metal look. This time I worked a bit harder on the underneath side.



This is the way it looked before I painted it.

Another painted mask

I achieved this look by blending several acrylic paints in multiple layers. I also painted the underneath area all black, just to give it a more finished look. Next time I will spray paint it all black (or some neutral color) first, to save time. This first coat also allows the paint to absorb into the leather which makes the additional layers go on smoother.

This is how it looked before I started painting:

Leather Mask #3: Painted

Leather Mask: Shaping

After cutting out the mask pattern, I soaked it in hot water (not quite boiling) for a few minutes, took it out and patted it dry on a towel and then started forming it over the mannequin head I sculpted into a bird face earlier. I worked steadily, curling the edges to get a more finished look. I scored the feathers on the backside so they would bend a little. Once it was shaped, I let it dry overnight and it held its form nicely. I did talk to someone who explained to me that I used the wrong kind of leather (has too much texture and an unevenness in thickness throughout. I did some more research and now have the right (or more commonly used) leather. I will probably have two or three more masks before it's out of my system.

Mask: Stage 4

Today I'm coating the mask form with structure gel, a heavy bodied gel medium. This will seal the plaster and protect the form when it comes in contact with the wet leather. Yesterday I ordered a side of light weight vegetable dyed leather from a whole seller on Ebay.