... My Mask...

These are the masks that I found inspirational:

When I was looking for masks I googled American Indian Masks. I did this because I am a Tuscaroran and when I have an opportunity to explore my roots more I go for it. I like these masks because the bold, outlined color on the mask gives it body and livelihood. The lines used on these masks are thick and each mask is symmetrical which gives the pieces balance.

For my mask I decided to do a turtle mask. The turtle is a part of my clan and is a part of my life through my Grandmother and my father. Here is my sketch:

Here is my final mask:

I made this out of a paper plate and smaller paper plates. Then I painted it with acrylic paints. I liked the dark think lines present on the inspirational masks so I used them to highlight the eyebrows and mouth. I used green, phyllo green, and lemon yellow to shade the mask. I put phyllo green semi-circles around the edge of the mask to create texture, they are supposed to resemble scales. I made each side as symmetrical as possible to create balance within my mask.

I have never made a mask before so this is my first experience. I like to express my ethnicity through my artwork, however I feel this resembles a mutant ninja turtle more than a Native American mask. I am fine with this because I used to watch that show all the time so this mask is also embracing my past. I love being creative and this project was fun to complete!