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| Paper Mache masks of our dear departed |
I guess I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to my cat (who departed this world after twenty years only weeks ago--see his true likeness
here). A friend's Hallowe'en party provided a perfect excuse to re-incarnate him, twice, while trying my hand at paper mache.
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| This one is the better likeness |
I made these masks, which are lightweight, flexible, and easy-to wear, over a form I sculpted from SuperSculpey (a first for me) and aluminum foil using multiple reference photos. The likenesses are far from exact, but I think the masks conjure him well nonetheless.
For the mask-making, I followed the ingenious techniques explained so comprehensively by
Jonni Good on her amazingly informative blog:
Ultimate Paper Mache.
Jonni, if you find this post, I've ordered your book, but haven't yet
received it and so made use of your excellent YouTube videos.
And, since the carnavalesque masks seemed to represent only one aspect of his personality, I also sculpted a more dignified bust, using a
paper mache clay also developed by Jonni Good over a wire and foil armature. I haven't decided whether to paint him, as the ancient Greeks surely would've, or leave him to yellow slightly (there's some linseed oil in the mix). I think I like the gravitas of the unpainted version for now.
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| Cosimo, profile |
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| About face |
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| Aloof |
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| Plotting |
5 comments:
Terrific work!
I think I'd leave the bust unpainted, it has a statuesque quality that might be lost under paint. The masks look great too.
Jonni's site and videos are great; and she is a great sharer too.
Thank you, Rob!
Yes, I think the bust will remain unpainted. And I agree with you about Jonni.
Awesome
I so love your cat mask and bust , you can see the love you have for your cat.:)
Thank you, Christine (and Bill, sorry for the delay)!
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