Masks and Durlston - the exhibition!

For those who have followed my blog, you may remember a few months ago I did a short course in model making to learn more and gain more practical experience in props making - one of the outcomes of which was designing and making an ornamental fibre glass resin mask, with copper powder in the surface resin to make it look like antique copper when polished.

 The edges have been filed since this photo was taken and all tidied up!

Well, I had an email from the University, and I am delighted to announce that as of Sunday this mask is being exhibited at Durlston Country Park as part of the Arts University Bournemouths Short Courses exhibition of work from previous students. For anyone who goes to the exhibition, this mask is on a plinth with another mask which I believe was made by someone in the same class as me! It is also being exhibited for sale, which is a bit of a moment for me as while I do want to sell it, it is the first mask I have made out of resin and I am tremendiously proud of it, so it will be a bit sad to see it go.

The Nutcracker - Final fittings and away they go!

Today were the final fittings of the Nutracker and Mouse King masks, and thankfully all was finished by the end of the session to be handed over with the first performances on Friday!

There were a few modifications to be made - in the last fitting, the Mouse King mask was loose and had been slipping, then when immobile the chin strap had been digging in the dancers throat. For todays fitting I brought elastic to replace the inflexible chin straps, and then when the mask proved  less immobile I added a small over head strap in black to the very front of the top of the head. This added stability to the mask when performing the routine and meant the performer was more comfortable.

The Nutcracker mask was actually perfect the way it was. I left the top of the helmet mesh instead of covering it with the gauze so that the dancers head wouldn't get too hot, as particularly under stage lights I know that when you're wearing a mask the top of your head can get very hot and it helps to have ventilation

I found that mix of acrylic paint and glue recommended on the websites that I checked did work well but required multiple layers - though applying the paint to large areas of the mesh was a lot more difficult and required a lot more layers!

Making the chain from braid was actually a lot easier then anticipated, though quite fiddly and time consuming. I used very small pieces of gold gaffer tape to secure the 'links' in place, then used a glue gun to secure the braid to the mask. I usually avoid using a glue gun unless absolutely necessary but in this case, with the varaform being a plastic, the glue effectively being a plastic, it fused the braid to the helmet nicely. For the gold ball on top of the helmet, I found the best way to acomplish this without making the mask more top heavy at the front was actually by using a polystyrene ball, and a mix of gold acrylic and glue to paint it.

Now that the masks are finished and the performers have them, everything is on track for the first performances this Saturday and Sunday opening at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. For more information on the performances see the company's website http://www.lets-all-dance.co.uk/nutcracker/

Fittings and Progress!

Last week were the first fittings with the Lets All Dance ballet performers in Greenwich for the Nutcracker masks!

On arrival, after checking the fit of the masks performers ran through part of the ballet in them to check the stability and comfort during performance. Thankfully the nutcracker, aside from the nose needing widening and needing to be brought up around the shoulder area for comfort, was quite stable during performance and now just needs finishing.

The Mouse King mask was very stable when in the right position on the head, but the straps were an issue and need replacing with flesh coloured elastic.

The biggest task post fitting was to finish the helmet of the Nutcracker mask. For this I am using the varaform gauze, which is harder to use then the mesh but gives the flat smooth surface that the helmet requires. I have found that the gauze can be fused and manipulated by using a hair drier, which actually makes it much easier to manoeuvre then submerging it. Here is the mask with the alterations done and the helmet on! The next thing to do is to put the top on the helmet, decorate and add the 'teeth' and beard. The decoration will include adding the gold pattern to the front of the helmet, and the gold 'chain' made from gold braid.

The Mouse King, other then the straps being changed for elastic the rest is purely cosmetic. Through researching online it seems the best thing to paint varaform with is acrylic mixed with glue, very much the same as painting plastazote. I now have less then a week left until the final fitting when, hopefully, the masks will be finished and no more alterations will be needed and they can be given over to the company at the end of the fitting.