Secret Keeper

Materials used:

painted canvas base;
painted plaster cast of my face;
driftwood pieces, Oregon coast line;
bark, Hyalite Canyon, Montana;
pheasant feathers, Montana:
forest lichen and moss, Hyalite Canyon, Montana

(wall mount)

One of my early masks, “Secret Keeper” seems to be camouflaged, almost hidden, so that the casual observer must take a second glance or a closer look in order to actually find the face hiding behind the painted wood and bark. The color scheme of blues and whites hides the actual mask face and the painted pieces of bark and driftwood further create the camouflage.

Sometimes, in life, we need to take another look at what may seem on the surface to be busyness or congestion, and find what secondary essence resides below that. Sometimes, lately, it seems we, individually and collectively, must do that more often to keep an emotional equilibrium in such a rapidly changing world. What may appear on the surface of an issue or situation may truly not be what is really happening on a larger scale, or even on a, perhaps, minute scale… and maybe entirely different from first impressions that can sometimes cause a knee-jerk reaction in our personal and private lives.

The healing needed on this planet can never come about through a response of fear. So this mask, “Secret Keeper,” invites us to look again, perhaps to make another choice, hopefully one of love and acceptance, as we unravel hidden images and appearances on surfaces of all types.

Secrets, true secrets, are hidden and held safely in this mask. The Mask Artistry piece invites us all to look below the surface, to find joy and freedom in exploration and renovation by recognizing underlying truths and clarity. Secrets are precious, and must be held with care… honestly and with such supportive tenderness.