My 50th Birthday Life Mask Ritual

I used deer antler tips for the horns. She ended up looking like a Viking from under the sea!


I poured acrylic paints right into my hands and rubbed it directly onto the plaster. I like the crackly effect that happened naturally with the many layers of paint.



I used long strands of horse hair combined with yarn and "seaweed" for the hair.

My 50th Birthday is on Monday. I decided to experiment with life-mask construction in honor of the occasion. I have been drawn to explore mask making for a while now. I spent much of this week in my basement applying bandages soaked in plaster to my face while looking in a mirror that I attached to my painting easel.

The journey has been powerful, revealing, at times unsettling, a bit allergic, sometimes comical, and quite intriguing overall. I made three masks in one day. I began the process by placing a blob of plaster directly into my eye. When my vision returned, I had some fun learning about the layering and shaping process. I also learned that removing Vaseline from my hair is quite challenging!

I have a sense that I have been giving birth to myself in the basement this week. I still have two masks left to decorate...Doing this process alone was quite an intense experience both physically and emotionally. I am looking forward to exploring it further possibly in a group setting...