The Mask Challenge

Keeping busy over summer break is pretty easy. There are SO may things I put off during the school year in anticipation of having time over the summer. Don't laugh-stuff IS getting DONE!

It is also fun to be challenged once in a while. And I gotta say I was feeling challenged when I received a message from one of my theater buddies. Myndee asked me to create masks, to match her costumes, for the 3 Cheshire Cats in the production of Dorothy in Wonderland. The world of The  Wizard of Oz collides with that of Alice in Wonderland.

 My inspiration-

Now it is quite obvious that Myndee reads my blog and saw my post on my 5th graders making masks. However, we lean more towards the decorative side with those. I stress with my students that the masks will be going up on a wall.  Sooooooo the challenge was how are these masks gonna stay on and be safe for the children to see out of them?

I noticed in the inspiration photo how the mask covers the top and sides of the head. Okay, so I covered the top and sides of the children's heads with Plast'rcraft, leaving the eye spaces open and covering only the top part of their faces. (Before starting I covered their heads and the top portion of their faces with plastic shopping bags.)

After they dried, I made the eye holes bigger using a small utility knife and scissors. I didn't like how rough it made the edges so I cut up tiny pieces of the Plast'rcraft and covered over those spots.
Cats have ears, I cut them out of poster board after making a pattern on paper.

Can you see the slits on the ears? I bent the edges to attach them to the mask with hot glue.

Then I covered the back of the ears first, let them dry and then did the front of the ears. I actually decided to use the ear pattern to cut out the Plast'rcraft so the ears would look neater.

 

Then I went back to the theater to make sure the masks fit and the eye holes were big enough. Oh AND to figure out whether or not the masks would stay on the their heads or if we needed a Plan B. 

 

Looking good! One girl was out, but I figured 2 out of 3 worked, so I could continue with them.

Let the painting begin!

 

Next the fur! Made with feather boas.

 

 

Masks are finished and totally lives up to the awesomeness of the costume!

Here is the cast photo showcasing all of Myndee's costumes. I know they had tons of help from parents doing the flats (the big background paintings) and other scenery. And of cause the director Miranda, who got all those children up there performing!

I am looking forward to the show this afternoon!

Have you had any artistic challenges this summer? Tell me about it, leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!!