• When you look at the faces around you, you will very quickly discover they are amazingly interesting and intricate works of art. •A mask is just a model of a face that one may use to cover one's own face to express the characteristics of another being.• Masks have been created to reveal a variety of designs, and are expressive of a wide range of emotions.

• One reason for wearing a mask is to pretend to be someone or something else.• The mask can be a kind of language that expresses the emotion of the figure one chooses to create. • Masks can also have several meanings. Some masks may serve more than one purpose.

• In ancient times it was not easy to see a mask in person, especially in the secret societies in Africa.• According to African tradition, generally, only men conducted masked dances and owned, controlled, and were allowed to wear masks during African rituals.

• Females were prohibited from the place where masks were being created and used in performances, because of the belief that masks were dangerous to the point of death for females who even saw, or came close to one.

•A mask does not have to be worn on the face. It can be hung on a wall as a decoration. Masks may be placed or worn wherever they are thought to be useful.• They may be worn not only by people, but also by animals. Nowadays, many animals are dressed in masks to entertain audiences at circuses.

Pacific Masks• Masks are also used for important events.• Mardi Gras Masks have become famous in the U.S. to help us celebrate the tradition in the south. •Another widely known use of a mask is in the Lion Dance, one of the most famous performances during the Chinese New Year, to welcome the beginning of a New Year. • Americans also wear masks to frighten or amuse on Halloween to celebrate this annual event.

Alaskian Masks• During certain stages of festive ceremonies, the outer layer of the mask may be lifted or removed, exposing the inner layer bearing a different facial expression. •In Alaska, for instance, layered Eskimo masks were often created to represent two faces, one of an animal and one of a human being.• This is because the Eskimo people believed that every living creature had a double existence, and could change at will into the form of a human being or an animal.

• Throughout the world there are many different sizes and shapes of masks. • Normally, a mask is designed to fit a wearer's face, but for different purposes, it may be smaller or larger than the face. • For instance, in Japan the mask is usually smaller than the wearer's face. .

Japanese Masks• A mask may cover not only the face, or part of the face, but also the entire head, or the head and shoulders, and it is sometimes considered part of a costume. • The size of a mask all depends on what kind of ideas one comes up with, and what one would like to display on the mask

• Masks have been, and continue to be, constructed from a variety of materials for widely different significant reasons throughout the world. • The materials used have depended on the geographical location, the time period, and the resources available to the creators. • Generally, using naturally occurring resources from the environment creates more natural style masks.

• Masks from all over the world demonstrate a variety of materials and forms. • Almost any material that may be carved or molded has been used for mask making. • Some common materials are: wood, stone, clay or mud, feathers, glass, metal, bark, leaves, corn husks, plaster, paper-mache, shell, etc.

•Modern Masks are often painted and further decorated with shells, seeds, hair, or feathers.• Since a mask mostly appears in the area of the face or head, it is not surprising that it has been found that actual skulls, either human or animal, were used as masks. • A mask made from a human skull was used in funeral ceremonies to closely link the spirits of the dead to the world of the living in primitive cultures.

Mardi gras Masks•The role played by masks has been important throughout the cultural history of the world .• They may represent both natural and supernatural creatures.• Everyone in the world is unique. Everyone has a role to play in life. No two people look exactly the same, or play exactly the same roles as any other person. Most people play several roles at a time.

Clay is a natural substance found all over the world. Clay consists mostly of decomposed rock.

CLAY MASKS WITH A MESSAGE

Stages of drying clayGreen: Clay which is moist and new. Green clay is characterized by its ability to be easily shaped, formed, and added too (embossing).Leather Hard: Clay which is partially dry. Leather hard clay is characterized by its ability to receive detail (incising). Although leather hard clay will smooth and clean up well, it is also more fragile. Leather hard clay is to dry for embossing.Bone: Clay which is completely air dried. Bone dry clay is very fragile and no attempts should be made to either emboss or incise. Sweeping with a dry brush is the only acceptable finishing technique. Although fragile, it is necessary for clay to be dried to this state before bisque firing. Clay in any of the above stages may be placed in water and recycled.

Clay Tools Your fingers: The finest tool you have. You may shape, smooth and clean better with your hands than almost any other tool.Wire Loop Tools: Used primarily to remove (incise) clay. Remove moist clay from loops after, every stroke.Wooden Tools: Used primarily to scrape and smooth clay. Slip: A wet solution made from clay, water, and vinegar. Slip is used as a glue during the embossing process.

Clay TechniquesEmbossing: Adding or joining two pieces of clay together. Embossing may only be done during the green drying stage. When embossing you must complete the following steps. 1. Score both pieces to be joined2. Add slip to both pieces3. Join the two piecesIncising: Subtracting clay from the surface of the piece. Carving into, stamping into, drawing into the clay surface are all examples of incising techniques.

Firing CeramicsKiln: A furnace is which ceramics are fired, not baked.Bisque Firing: A slow first firing which takes about 24 hours to complete. The kiln will reach a firing temperature of between 1500-2000 degrees. The ceramics may shrink between 3-7% from their bone dry state. Any cracking will happen during this firing.Bisque Ware: A piece of ceramic which has been fired once. Bisque ware is now resistant to water.

Firing continued….Glaze Firing: Normally a quicker firing which takes less than 24 hours to complete. The kiln will reach a firing temperature of between 2000-2500 degrees. The exact temperature will depend on the specific glazes which were applied. All work must be raised on stilts or wiped clean where touching kiln shelves.Glaze Ware: A piece of ceramic which has been fired after glaze was applied (usually 2nd firing). Glazes are solutions of pigment (color), silica (glass), and flux (chemical) which melt at specific temperatures, and when cooled, reveal a layer of smooth, hard glass.

Your mask must have one Embossed detail on it, and one Incised detail.You must glaze or paint your mask after it has been fired.

When decorating your Masks, please remember it should be very colorful, and have unique characteristics of the message you are trying to convey. I do not want just a white clay mask. You may use any materials that you want, I encourage you all to use a range of mixed media.