{"id":26,"date":"2024-10-17T16:25:37","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MaileJ\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2025-06-06T15:08:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T15:08:48","slug":"explorations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MaileJ\/explorations\/","title":{"rendered":"Explorations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Explorations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the Explorations unit, we were each given the choice of picking a topic that we wanted to further explore. “How can you find, explore, and\/or expand your passion?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For my project, I decided to explore mask making, something that I haven’t done before and something I’ve been wanting to try. I don’t do much 3d art, typically sticking to 2d or digital art, so this was something I didn’t have much experience doing.To start, I created a sketch for what I wanted my mask to look like. My idea was inspired by angel statues, something I feel inexplicably drawn to. During this time, I also put together a list of supplies that I was going to need to create the mask. This included paint, paper mache, tape, mask base, and a couple other smaller supplies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The next thing was starting to sculpt the actual mask itself. I did this by starting with using a base for a mask and building the paper mache on top of it before adding detailing. I made a few practice masks to see how the paper mache dried and how I wanted the base of the mask to look. I took around three tries to finally get the mask to look how I wanted it to. I faced a little issue with cracking – especially with the nose part of the mask specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After waiting 48 hours for it to dry, I moved onto the painting, where I painted white paint and gold for accents. I also added detailing with pearls and crystals to add more interest to the mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After this, I decided I wanted to coat the mask in resin to add a clear finish. Using epoxy resin, I did two layers of resin, which took a total of 4 days to dry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After this, I decided to take photos using the mask to show off the mask in a photoshoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From this project, I feel like I learned a new skill, and I ended up really liking the final result of my work. This project really taught me to trust the process because there were points in the project where I felt like giving up and restarting. Timing for me was also a big issue because every step of this project required letting it sit to dry for long periods of time. I valued the freedom that I got from this project because it really allowed me to just try something I wouldn’t have normally done. Overall, I’m really proud of myself and the work that I was able to accomplish during this project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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