If you want to a fun project, try making your own masquerade mask.

Here’s a short video that takes you through the progression of the Warrior Princess Mask from sculpting, decorating, and photographing to poetry and a painting:

Masks possess an appeal for many people. Perhaps their mysterious nature invites us to hide parts of who we are while we develop talents we want to have.

I became intrigued with masks while I was developing my creativity and decided to make my own masks.

This first lesson will teach you how to make a clay mask that you can display as well as use as a mold for a plaster cloth mask, which is lighter to wear.  Here is a suggested supply list:

• A mask
• Sculpey (lightweight clay you form and then bake in the oven)
• Clay sculpting tools for cutting and forming
• A clay pot to place the mask on while baking
• Basic acrylic paints are my daughter’s favorite (try some metallic colors)
• Craft glue
• Scrapbook papers for cutting out shapes and designs
• Braided lace, feathers, and beads for accents
• Wax paper
• Cutting mat
• A mask
• Tin foil
• An instrument for carving

Follow these simple instructions to design a clay mask:

Step 1: Soften a lump of clay the size of a softball by kneading it with your hands. Press the clay onto a flat surface. Use a piece of wax paper to keep the clay from sticking. Then roll the clay flat until it is 1/8 inch thick, using a cylinder-shaped object .

Step 2: Mold the clay onto an existing mask, sculpt the clay on your face, or carve out a design on a flat surface.

If you mold the clay using a mask, trim around the mask.

If you use your own face, gently indent the clay in the shape you want. Afterwards, you can cut through the clay on a cutting mat.You can also sculpt the mask on a cutting mat.
Step 3: Place the mask on a clay pot. Heat the oven to 250 degrees and place the pot with the mask into the oven. Make sure you prop up the nose with a ball of foil.

Step 4: Cook the mask for 15-20 minutes, depending upon how hot your oven gets.

Step 5: Remove the mask and let the mask cool for an hour

Step 10: Decorate the mask using paint and/or mixed media items.

Step 10: Add embellishments. My daughter, Andrea, sculpted this mask, Warrior Princess. Then my other daughter, Elya, created the mixed media artwork. Finally, I added the feathers.

Then this mask inspired a poem…

and a painting…

that “Somerset Studio THE ART OF PAPER AND MIXED MEDIA” magazine published on the “Letters to the Editor” page:

You never know where a masquerade mask project will take your creative journey!

• To purchase my original paintings, visit my Etsy Shop.
• To purchase painting reproductions on a variety of products, visit my Fine Art American Shop.
• *For more inspiration visit https://refrainfromtheidentical.com
• If you would like more creative inspiration and tips on how to develop and manage your creative life, check out my book, Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics.