“It was quite a peacful activity for me… my inner life found its way into the mask.

students molding a face mask a finished painted mask

Mask Making Classes

Finding your inner self . . .

Mask making has the potential to explore inner imagery and creative resources which we cannot access in an ordinary way. It is working without a preconceived notion of the end result that opens us to discover "something else" about ourselves.

The following two part workshops guide participants through a direct casting process to create masks of their faces. During the second phase, the character of the mask is revealed as paints, collage materials and treasures from home are selected for adornment.

Call for information on the following. These workshops are arranged privately.

The Quest: Exploring Ourselves

In life we wear many masks, each appropriate to the situation in which we find ourselves. Over time we get in the habit of using only a few “faces” out of the extensive repertoire we possess.

Participants explore their own “cast of thousands” by casting and embellishing masks of their own faces. The workshop includes a visual introduction to the origins of this ancient art form.

Arrange privately for yourself or your group.

Mask Making for Couples

(Possibilities include: friend/friend, parent/teen, parent/adult child, grandparent/grandchild, spouse/spouse, sibling/sibling.)

Taking time to explore something new together can offer precious moments of growth in a relationship. In this workshop partners take turns casting a direct mold of one another’s face. This part of the process calls for trust and communication between partners, both verbal and gestural, checking on comfort and needs.

Each partner experiences himself in turn, as both image-maker and subject. The image-maker experiences the extraordinary emergence of the partner’s face from beneath his finger tips. On the other side, the subject is invited to relax and receive a gift of undivided attention and care as the mask process unfolds. It is a peaceful meditation.

Arrange privately for yourself or your group.

 

Don’t see what your want? Have questions? Contact Barbara Diane Barry by email or call 212-787-1923.