| CASTING
THE MASKS
DECORATING
THE MASKS
GROUPS
WITH THEIR FINISHED MASKS
Gallery
of completed masks.
...Everyday we wear a variety of masks. We show one
mask to family members, another to friends, still another to co-workers.
Strangers see our "street" mask.
But who are you when you're alone? Who do you dream of being? Do you take
off all your masks; do you try on new ones in privacy? Whatever the case
may be, masking can lead you to accept life's inevitable masquerades and
overcome the anxiety that goes with taking them too seriously. Prepare
for a mind-shift from the logic of the normal secular sphere where things
are understood to be distinct from one another. Imagine a play sphere
where things are accepted for the experience they elicit, and the logic
is that of "make believe" - "as if."
Treat yourself to an imaginative, creative day. Masks are as varied as
the imaginations of their creators. The possibilities are limitless when
you're holding a mask of your own face in your hands, fashioning your
own myth. Learn about the use of masks throughout the ages and today.
Discover the power of masks through this workshop as the mystery and the
history of mask making weave their magic in your mask.
Following the instructor's thought-provoking demonstration of the process,
explore the act of creation as you cast the mask of another student. Emerge
from beneath the plaster of your own mask to a new way of seeing yourself.
Hold your persona in the palm of your hand as you transform your mask
with a fanciful variety of decorating materials provided by the instructor
and guaranteed to spark your imagination. You may also bring something
special of your own (old jewelry, scarves, found objects, etc.) to further
personalize your mask.
Let your mask reveal the real you - or, recreate yourself! Masks grant
permission to play "as if" for the sheer joy of it. Glimpse
the past, the present, or the future in the face of your mask. Take the
creative journey into your own myth through mask making. Writing prompts
will lead participants in a discovery of mask as metaphor. Technical help
as well as inspirational resource books and photos are available from
the instructor. No prior art experience is necessary to enjoy this remarkable
workshop.
Over the years, Anne’s mask workshops have included those for family
reunions, children’s programs and camps, church retreats, women’s
groups, writers groups, businesses, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries,
New Year’s and Halloween. Please contact
Anne for information on scheduling a mask workshop in your area.
Below, find out more about masks in excerpts from Anne's workshop
handouts…
Masks
command a powerful presence in world history. Paintings of masked dancers
are found on the walls of caves from over 25000 years ago. In the 9th
century B.C., Assyrians and Babylonians wore masks of disguise to protect
them from spirits at the tomb. Egyptian art indicates that the gods appeared
as human beings with elaborate masks. Golden-jeweled death masks adorned
the entombed mummies of the greatest pharaohs.
The mask derives its power through time from the layering of traditions,
myths, and beliefs. Death masks of ancient Rome were a family's way of
preserving the essence of its forebears. Later, ancestral galleries were
popular in European homes, just as we now have walls of family portraits
to remind us of each generation. The classic theatrical masks of Tragedy
and Comedy were taken from Greco-Roman models featured in the ancient
sacred drama. Actors and chorus members did not display emotions on their
own faces-their masks mimicked expressions attributed to the gods.
Masks appear in all times, on every continent, in almost every culture.
Today, children and adults revel in a world of traditional make-believe
with masks for Halloween, Carnival, and Mardis Gras. Pueblo Indians wear
masks in ritual dances to call on ancient spirits. Indonesians parade
folkloric masks at birthday parties and funerals. Africans recreate tribal
myths with masks for native rituals. Mask uses are as varied as the imaginations
of their creators.
Once upon a time becomes very present when we put on a mask. Make believe,
according to Joseph Campbell, "is a primary, spontaneous device of
childhood, a magical device by which the world can be transformed from
banality to magic in a trice. And its inevitability in childhood is one
of those universal characteristics of man that unite us in one family."
Johan Huizinga studied the play element in culture and noted, "In
all the wild imaginings of mythology a fanciful spirit is playing on the
border-line between jest and earnest." Is it any wonder that the
magic of mask making entices us all to play "as if?"
Such a game of "as if" frees our mind and spirit-not from anything,
but for something-something candid and creative. Joseph Campbell sums
it up beautifully: "As in the play of children, where...the spontaneous
impulse of the spirit to identify itself with something other than itself
for the sheer delight of play, transubstantiates the world- in which,
actually, after all, things are not quite as real or permanent, terrible,
important, or logical as they seem."
To view Anne’s face casting teacher’s amazing site, click
here for Ann Lyneah Curtis.
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