Animal Masks
This body of work is a series of masks that I started creating in my undergraduate program. We were given a project to create work that integrated into an environment. I created a mask from wire and leather that hung in the crook of a tree. While I did not get very good marks on my integration of an object into an environment, I did create a very unique form that has been with me ever since. The masks are all animal based forms using leather formed over wire armatures. Animals, just like books, are at the core of my being. Memories of Wild America, a program I still love to watch, are so magical to me. Seeing the creatures that lived in the woods that I played in, up close in their daily life formed a bond between us. Each mask is unique and is covered in soft, supple leather that has been thoughtfully arranged on the wire form. Creating these masks is a slow process that takes time to arrange the layers to create features and expressions that bring the masks to life. Recently I have expanded this series and started using leather that is colored or has a different finish to create more dynamic masks and variation within the forms.