Mask making requires a combined approach of thorough planning and intuitive felt making. More than just a face cover, these masks will cover the head completely and are sculptures in their own right. You will learn how to achieve facial symmetry, experiment with different types of protrusions and colour, build up features and markings, create plumage/fur/hair, how to felt all the 3-dimensional parts together and how to sculpt and shape the felt. You will be guided through the techniques step by step. Learning is supported through practical demonstrations, one-to-one consultations and practical help, hand outs and illustrated explanations.

Experience level

Mask making in felt is a complicated, demanding and physical process and requires stamina and determination. In order to complete the masks in this master class, daily tasks will be set and the pace will be demanding. For this reason, regrettably, this master class is NOT suitable for beginners or those suffering from back or hand/arm injuries or other health issues that prevent you from standing/felting for long periods of time.

You are encouraged to come with an open attitude and a sense of play. Expect to experiment with form and surface texture as we start to interpret nature’s shapes into felt and come up with our own felt making solutions. Seed pods merely act as our starting point... There are no ‘mistakes’; there are just opportunities to learn. In order to help focus on the shape and sculptural qualities of the pods, the use of colour is restricted to a minimal palette of 3-4 (natural) colours maximum. Learning is supported through practical demonstrations, one-to-one consultations & practical help, and illustrated explanations.

Experience level:

This workshop is suitable for intermediate feltmakers who would like to take their artistic work a step further. Some experience in making 3-dimensional felt around a resist is an advantage but is not required.

This master class will be taught by Gladys Paulus, a professional textile artist with a background in fine art painting and teaching, based in the UK.

She is an exhibiting member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists, and a member of the Crafts Council Selected Index of Makers and the International Feltmakers Association. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the UK, and her masks have featured in theatre, fashion magazines, television and film.

Gladys' s workshops are in demand nationally and internationally and over the years she has taught hundreds of textile enthusiasts and professionals. She asks a lot from her students, and give a lot back in return. Gladys is interested in the nature of the creative process and learning through experimentation & play, and she likes to encourage her students to come with an experimental attitude. Likewise, her own techniques are born from experimentation, and continue to develop and evolve as the nature of her art work develops.

http://www.gladyspaulus.co.uk/about-2/ . Take also a look at her video at the end of this flyer

disclamer : Images are not exemplary of products that will be exactly made by participants