​

As an admirer of Mexican carved masks, I have intended to make one of my own for quite some time. I have had a stash of basswood waiting in the shop, ready to take life in its new form, but have never had the inspiration to begin. In the midst of working through another butterfly piece, where I felt blocked creatively, this mask emerged, helping to rekindle creative energy and beginning my exploration in masks. Masks, of course, have be come a daily accessory in our COVID reality, but this takes that quotidian element and removes the practical functionality and fills it with hope. Freedom stands as a central theme, embodied through the butterfly symbolism as well as the asymmetry and imperfections throughout the piece.

​