This Spring we are making masks at Laurel Dell elementary in San Rafael. We warmed up with a quick paper plate drawn mask, exploring the proportions and shapes of human facial features, and then adding our own whimsical, imaginative touches. Currently, the K-3 students are working on two types of masks: fancy paper Carnivale masks, and collage/drawing masks inspired by the wild portraits of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. The 4-5 students are making Animal Power masks, basing them on an animal or hybrid of animals whose traits and abilities they admire. They sketched front and side view plans for their mask, and are now sculpting the mask with clay and foam, which with then be covered with plaster strips.
