papier mache masks

Dancing Mask

The "Pilgrim" mask is one of the Dancing Masks for the Redding, CA festival.

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frog in watercress mask

Frog in watercress--Sacramento River Trail

This frog is one of the "Dancing Masks" for the projected folk dances.

I think the Turtle Bay Rainbow Bridge--the "World's Largest Sundial" would be an excellent venue for a yearly series of folk dances--featuring birds, animals and people of the Redding California area.

Since the huge gnoman of the Rainbow Bridge points the absolutely accurate time of the year by the sun--this could be the telling time for the dance series.

A six month-long series of perhaps six annual dances would be good, I think--to begin on December 21--the shortest day of the year--and to end on June 21--the longest day.

This same period is often used by the ancient peoples all over the world for their seasonal dances--and though most of the people in Redding are not the original ancient people of the area--(in terms of anthropological roots they are more usually fairly new transplants)--a series of new folk dances might be enjoyable for them too.

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Dancing Masks

Maggie the Part-time Cat and the Wise Woman Dancing Mask

Several of the papier mache masks I now have displayed at the Redding California Public Library are meant to be "Dancing Masks"--not simple face masks or wall decorations.

These masks may be used in a series of folk dances in Redding--commemorating the changing seasons of the year.

The Wise Woman mask (above) is a character which will appear at every dance.
representing the eternal wisdom of the female--the "great mother" of mythology.

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collage

Dreams and Visions

Over the past few years I have made several collages using articles, ads and so forth which I thought would tell a sort of historic story--tell not a word narrative, but show an image which could be interpreted many ways.

I thought I would E-publish one of them on my blog today. Click on the picture if you want to enlarge it to make details clearer.

TW

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papier mache masks

One of Thomas Wold's Turtle Bay Dancing Masks.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park Papier Mache Artist

Exhibits at Redding Library

Papier mache artist Thomas Wold , who will teach some of the basics of the medium at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in his “Mask Making Theater Workshop” on Sunday, September 21 and 28 at noon and then use the students with their masks in performance at the Redding Downtown “Art Hop”, will have an exhibition of fifteen of his own hand-made masks at The Redding Library, 1100 Parkview Avenue, Redding from August 13 to September 30, 2008.

Mr. Wold, who learned his craft in teacher's art courses at Sonoma State University and practiced it in various theater productions in Hawaii and at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, has a BA from UH and an MA degree in English from NAU.

Mr. Wold has taught classes from kindergarten to post-graduate level and from mountain villages in the Andes to Vladivostok, Russia and, with his wife Tanya, has made his home here in Redding since last November.

Working with scrap newspaper, cardboard and cast-off materials, simple wheat paste and acrylic colors, Wold demonstrates how unique artistic creations may be produced at practically no cost—he is convinced that papier mache is a great medium for such things as masks and theatrical needs.

Thomas is very interested in folk art and dance festivals—the wearing of animal and plant masks for seasonal celebrations and believes that Redding and Turtle Bay's most unusual sundial bridge is the perfect location for a six-month series of seasonal celebrations starting with the Winter solstice and ending with the summer solstice annually.

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Mask Making Class Reminder

REMINDER

I will teach the

"MASK MAKING WORKSHOP"

at the

TURTLE BAY MUSEUM

Sunday 21 and September 28 from Noon to 3p.m.--as the first two meetings of three-part mask-making workshop.

The third meeting will be as a performance part of Redding's new "ART HOP" downtown.

"This is a great opportunity for families and older children to have an artful experience together. Ages 12 and up."

Call 242-3108 to register.

Members $55, Nonmembers $70. At the Turtle Bay Museum, Redding, CA.

See you there! Thomas Wold

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papier mache masks

Krampus in Turtle Bay Park.

The weather here in Redding California has been VERY hot for the last few weeks--even including one record-breaking day when it was 110 degrees.

It is VERY hot! But for papier mache it is just right! (Always look at the bright side!)

Papier mache takes time to dry--the artist puts layers of paste-soaked paper onto the maquet and must wait--but with this extreme heat--if one puts the wet work outside in the sun it is baked before you know it!

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