Ann Hunter on sat 22 jul 00
I have made face masks with high schoolers using almost the same
directions as those given by Evelyn. A variation was to use strips
of plaster-impregnated cloth instead of mixing plaster. This
material is available at Michael's stores or can be ordered by the
carton from art supply houses that target school use. The helper
(Evelyn's handmaiden) cut strips, dipped them in water to activate
the plaster, and applied them to the face. Two or three layers,
overlapped, will suffice. I thought it was less messy than wet
plaster.
I got some really good pieces from students by adding the following
idea to the assignment: make a visual division vertically in the
mask. Add color and attachments to suggest two sides to one's
personality. We talked about irony and used the statement, "She
seemed to be ___, but actually she was ___."
Some of the teens in the class made casts with the plaster cloth of
their hands. That was less successful as they couldn't keep their
hands still enough. If I were going to make a cast of a person's
hand ( or pair of hands, as Bruce was contemplating), I would cast
them in a flattened position on a smooth sheet of perhaps Formica
countertop. You could make a fence out of flashing, available at
lumberyards, secured with duct tape. (This idea from Andrew Martin
"Mold Making & Slip Casting"). Mix #1Pottery Plaster using 1 quart
water to 3 lb. plaster. Cover the hands with Vaseline. A helper can
apply the plaster to the hands. Hold them very still until the
plaster has gotten hot and then starts to cool off. After a few days
drying, you can cast the mold with slip.
When I made the cast of the deceased man's hands (the start of this
thread) I used soft clay over the backs of the hands, then inverted
it into shallow boxes. I certainly was not going to mix plaster in
the funeral home! But with a live person, plaster would make a more
exact cast.
Ann Hunter, Texas, on a relatively cool day- 95 degrees.
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