This is just a sampling of wearable art masks, cuffs, pins, mitts and crowns that I have been making as one of a kind costume pieces since 2012. I was initially transfixed by ancient masks from the collection in Milwaukee Public Museum as a child. They both intrigued and scared me and I recognized that masks were part of a collective human experience full of power and interpretation.
My masks are inspired by nature, folklore, fiction, holidays, seasons, human struggle and storytelling of all kinds. They are made from conventional and unconventional materials that were available; natural feathers, fungi, mosses, seed pods, vintage millinery supplies (from the 1920s-1960s), jewelry supplies, archival glues, paper mache, clock pieces, hardware, wires, floral supply, ribbons, stones, plastic, glitter, paints and a whole bunch of experimentation. Through these experiments, I found joy in the challenge and growth opportunities that come with working with as many different materials I could find. I also found that I would never run out of materials to create anything I could imagine. Every mask became better than the last and a little more difficult to let go of.
Greenman 3 (2012) Amphritrite (2012) Tree Spirit (2016) Woodland Arm Cuff (1 of 2) (2016) Oil Spilled (2016) New Moon (2015) Up in Smoke, Down in Flames (2017) Stumped (2016) Coming Up Roses (2016) Batty (2017) Spiral Debris (2016) Spring Maple Dragon (2014) Autumnal (2014) Autumn Rain (2014) Autumn Imp (2014) Moth-man (mask and mitts)(2018) Bunny Foo Foo (2015) Evergreen Man (2012) Circulatory Medusa (2018) Fantasy Forest Cuffs (2017) Splattered Artist (2017) Henson Dragon (2017) Feathered Nemes (2016) Butterfly Crown and Pins (2017) Arachne, Jumping Spider (2017) Beetle Blues (2016) Clockwork Cat (2016) Bunny Loved (2018) Steampunk Wonderland Rabbit
(Freddie) (2019)Steampunk Wonderland Rabbit
(Freddie) (2019)Mica Sprite ( 2016) Autumn Sprite (2012) “Mikal” Mummy (2019) Luna Moth (2018) Wicker Man (2019) Wicker Man (detail) (2019) Over Wrapped (2019) “Harpy” Eagle (2019) Sooty Dragon (2013) “Eager” Narnia-Inspired Beaver (2017) Narnia-Inspired Susan Pevensie Mask (2017) Bonehead (2019) Blue (Velvet) Dragon (2019) Weeping Wisteria (2018) Weeping Wisteria (front) Green Man ( 2012)
The first mask I made (by request of friend)Uprooted (2019) Autumn Leaves (2016) Spring Fairy (2014) Fire Fairy (2015) Spring Sprung (2013) Big Eared Watch Dragon (2015) Ivy Man (2015) Green Woman Forest Mask (2017) Clockwerk Cat 3 (2018) One (2018) All Wrapped Up (2019) Clockwerk Cat 2 (2017) Scarecrow (2019) Frosted Winter Death Dragon (2014) Mardi Gras Trickster Fox (2014) Oak Man (2013) Fern Man (2018) Case of the Stripes storyteller mask(2018) Greened Man Mask and Relief sculpture/mount (2020) Forest Face (2017) Coyote (2014) The Cat Came Back (2014)