New Canvas

This fall IMasks 021-f1-Tall.jpg was  considering  that  mounting surfaces created a contextual impact, and  wondered what alternatives might be possible .

I’d experi-mented with fabric, paper and paper over chicken wire, and then I remembered quick dry plaster.

After trying a few masks on myself, I found most leafy material to be a challenge on the curved and uneven surfaces of plaster, while stemy material, like tamarind, worked really well.

I found that using wire to adhere branchy pieces was more reliable than botanical glue and/or a ploymer varnish over leaves (although everything got a top coat of the varnish with a UV filter).  Masks 004-f1.jpg

The first one I made (right) I  covered in tobacco I picked in Weston, MO, and it applied easily right over the plaster.

Then I added a part of a squash leaf,  fennel (and other) seeds, eucalyptus, a plant souvenir from Colorado, fern, and finally, beads.

Masks 002-f1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

For this one I started with tobacco as the primary background.

Sage and ornamental cabbage leaves were used around the eyes.

Above the eye area I added a watermelon leave and a blooming sprig of lavendar in the middle of the forehead.

Lavender was also used in the mouth, as was red twig dogwood