beginnerswork

  

Masks are the perfect project to teach your beginners about feelings, fantasy and transformations...A few teachers who worked with me on this project over the years were hesitant, but by the second year they were in to it and discovered hidden talent.

Any time is a good time for these masks, but Halloween provokes strong feelings in children. Masks are a terrific way to express feelings and at Halloween, anything goes!

In FIRST SELF I showed you how to make collage self-portraits, here are the masks that go with them. The portraits are hung on the bulletin board, then the masks are push pinned over them with a sign that says GUESS WHO? The masks come off on Halloween.

 I showed you how to make collage self-portraits, here are the masks that go with them. The system is similiar and the masks are based on the same head shape and size. Some of the pieces from the portrait can be used as well, for instance a face for the princess or the fireman. 

  I make kits, of their desired fantasies for each child to cut and assemble  so that we work together on the project. I like to make each wish come a true as I can. I get to model the magic! It doesn't hurt to impress beginners, especially if they get in on the act. I believe that it's vital to model creativity for beginners. Share your expertise. A cooperative effort between teacher and student… demystifies the process of imagining and then realizing an idea. 

Sometimes masks can reveal a lot... or not. It's always interesting because beginners take fantasy seriously and they are more willing to imagine if they know that you're there to help them express their ideas.

The goldfish shown above was, for me, the most difficult mask I made in eighteen years, but of course, the most magical for the complex little beginner I made it for. This project is not easy but if you choose to accept this mission is best to begin with easy masks, like the lady bug, the ghost, the cat or the princess... or make all monsters! You make the parts and let them choose pieces and assemble. But have them rehearse, describe and plan before you give them the glue. Even the monsters should be intentional, not random. See the monsters on the left above... planned to be a green monster with 5 eyes and black monster with 3 red eyes and green hair... then they were realized.