Block Printing

For our last assignment/lesson, we were going to design, cut, and print our own Block Print. We were able to use tracing papers to make the design, and find inspirations online. My original idea was what I normally do, the ocean. I was going to do two seahorses. But then I came across a picture of the moon. It really inspired me. So, I traced the main outline, then added my own touches. I then added a star in the sky which was shining brightly, and then also added a tiny sun being held by the moon. Here are pictures to show the printing process:

Maskventures

I have loved working with clay since I took classes in North Carolina a few years ago. For this assignment we were to make a mask. The first step was to research and draw 5 design ideas. Out of those ideas the one I chose to use for inspiration for my mask was the Sugar Skull which was made in Mexico. I wanted to use the skull idea, but add my own details which would be more of a hint of my interests. I have always been around the ocean, and then I moved here to Saipan, which is surrounded by ocean. So, my mask would represent that love I have for both my Home in NC and here in Saipan.

First we began by building a base. We rolled clay into balls and used them to build up the thickness of what would begin to form into my mask. Here are pictures showing the beginning...

Once i had a base, I was able to begin subtracting clay and shaping it to form the right shape of the sugar skull. 

Then I kept shaping till I was able to put more details in, like teeth, and add in the shells, starfish, and barnacle. 

Once the mask was shaped, I decided to begin painting. For this project, I wanted to go with the flow, in other words, decide on color as I went. I used blue for the starfish, which is popular here in Saipan. I chose to use a fabric plumeria I bought the first month I moved to Saipan. I painted it to look like the plumeria from my new house.

 

The final addition I added was add sand to the right eye socket and the nose. I felt that this gave my mask the finishing touch it really needed. 

The process: