Masks

This is likely a Maya mask was made around the 13th or 14th century.  It is made with tortoise shell.  The mask uses elements of shape and color, in the small pieces put together to form the face. The earlobes also use shape as they are made square. Space is also visible in the openness of the eyes and mouth.  Some principles this mask has are rhythm and balance.  The colors and shapes of the tiles form a rhythmic pattern.  The mask is almost completely symmetrical making it in balance.  I chose this mask because I liked the contrast of the please greens and blues with the harness of the square ears and pointed teeth.
This unique half human half jaguar mask immediately shows principles of asymmetrical balance and variety.  There is no specific rhythm or unity to the piece.  Elements of mass and texture present here.  Since the mask is three-dimensional it shows its mass in the space it takes up.  The sculptured facial features as well as the lines and dots at the top add texture.  I chose this mask more for what it represented to me than for how it looked.  I feel like I wear many masks in my daily roles and this mask shows an almost content side and a side that is a little crazy.  That represents my life perfectly sometimes!
This beautiful jade mask has elements of value, shape and mass.  There are different shades of the green color and light is seen reflecting off parts of this three dimensional piece. The principle of rhythm is noticed in the repeated use of the circles.  The mask is in symmetrical balance and the facial features are an accurate scale to true life.   I found the color and the the perfection of the face of this mask to be pleasing, which is why I chose this sample.

 This is the mask I created. As you can see from my sketches below I had a few ideas.  I liked this egg carton mask the best.  I saw the idea online while searching for something completely different.  Once I began work, things around the house just seemed to be the right fit.  I was plucking grapes and thought the stems would make good antlers for my mask.  I added shape by using round bottle caps for the eyes and marbles for the ears.  While I was creating I gravitated toward keeping the mask symmetrically balanced, unlike my one sketch that was asymmetrical.  I felt it needed a contrast of color.  The red chip clip for the straight line mouth did the trick and also added contrast to the rest of the muted tones.  The mask needed some texture.  I did this by filling the spaces with oatmeal. 
Overall I like how the mask turned out.  I think if I had done a paper plate style it may have not obtained the mass and depth that this one did.  It was a fun project but I found the sketches didn't help me that much.  I would rather brainstorm  then just start creating.