Frosted and Wire Musings

A frosted sunrise this morning

I've been playing with wire again - and made a few small hanging decorations to put in my 'other' Etsy shop.


Fish Wire Sculpture

Penguin Wire Sculpture

Just like my ink drawings I take the wire in my hands and bend it around with no real image until it starts to look like something. When I see something forming I work towards completing it as far as I can without overworking it. I like to think of them as glorified paper clips ;)

Finished Bird Spirit Mask

The last time you saw the bird mask, it still had to have all the symbols painted on it, and the disks made and attached. It is now done.

I am selling it on Etsy, and starting another, of a different type of animal. The purpose of the project wasn't to keep the mask - it was to use technique and skill to achieve the form imagined. I wanted to see the reoccurring images of these animal masks come out of my artworks and into the 'real world' as pieces of art.






My Reading: The symbols I used on the outside of the mask read basically 'Protector of Life.' On the inside of the mask, they read 'Seeker of Lifepath.' This isn't of any specific religion or ethnic culture, but rather a mixture of symbolism, language and mythology from many cultures I have studied over the years. This is the kind of bird mask that shows up in my random-line drawings like in the samples seen below.

General Reading: I see this kind of bird spirit, and the use of the mask in the drawings, as both a messenger and a giver of knowledge. The image or form of the bird can also be a medium for seeking such knowledge, depending on how it appears in the drawing. Birds have superior vision, the capability to escape to other places and return quickly. Birds bring messages from the spirit world, or secret knowledge that otherwise would not be accessible to the person receiving it.



I hope you have enjoyed seeing the process of this mask designed and made.
Making of links: | Part I. | Part II. | Part III (you are here) |

Bird Mask continues...

I say I get a lot out of my dreams, and my art ... this bird mask is an extension of a project that takes elements from both.


First I finished the sewing of the fabric to the wireframe.


Then I sat down and planned out what the decorations and symbols should be.
I didn't intend for it to look like Spiderman... but while putting the background into the picture I realized it kind of does! *eep* Well, those are the colors this should be, so if it shares them with Spiderman it does hehe.

Interpreting the Art: This is meant to be a dream or spirit mask. It is covered in 'good' symbols from my artwork. A bird is a common symbol of a giver or deliverer of messages. The symbols inside and out on this mask 'talk' about seeing the path, and protecting life. The deep rust-red colour is a tie to the earth.


Put the first coats of red and gold paint on the mask and let it dry

I'll be continuing this project later - it will take some careful pencil drawing and painting to get it to look like the plan. I'm not sure what to put for the 'life' disks that are hanging like 'ears' either -- will have to think up what materials will work best for that.