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) |