​​​TashaDavis​

In Language Arts class, my class started reading Shakesphere's Romeo & Juliet. In Act 1: Scene 5, Romeo meets Juliet at the Capulet's masked ball. Just before we read this part, we talked about what a mask can symbolize about a person's life/family or personality.

 

After we discussed that, we were told that we were going to be making masks to represent one person from the play. That would include Romeo, Juliet, Murcutio, Benvolio, Balthasar, Lady and Lord Capulet, Lady and Lord Montague, Tybalt, and The Nurse. I choose to create a mask to represent Juliet. After that, I selected a mask outline that I thought would help to symbolize Juliet. Now, this next step was optional, in that we could draw our mask on thin cardboard to make it more sturdy. Next I designed it to fit Juliet's personality. When we were done, we wrote a short three sentence paragraph about how the decor of our masks matched our chosen characters. I wrote:

 

        “My mask is pink and white to represent the childish and innocent characteristics of Juliet. The butterfly represents the bit of rebellion she has towards her parents. The glitter is to show an unparalleled beauty.”

 

I think that my biggest challenge during this project was actually a small one. When I first made my mask, it was all white with a butterfly in the corner. That would represent Juliet's innocence and rebelliousness. That would have been very plain and boring to look at but I hadn't realized that yet.

 

In the end, fate sort of straightened that out for me. Before school, I had held up my mask so my friend could take a picture of me in it. When I went to see it, I saw something that wasn't actually there. While her phone was tilted the half of the mask without the butterfly looked pink and it was beautiful. I immediately went and colored the half of the mask without the butterfly pink, and declared that the pink would represent the childish aspect of Juliet. Later, at the end of Chinese class when I was finished with all my work, I finally noticed a jar of glitter sitting in the middle of the table just waiting for me to use it. Truth be told, I am not a sparkle-holic but it just matched the story's description of Juliet's beauty so perfectly that I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

 

I think that the best thing I learned during this mask-making experience is that glitter does not like to stick to paper very well. No, actually, the best thing that I learned was that when making wearable accessories, don't use colors that clash (don't use colors that clash, period). Also, rainbow-vomit and drab colors have their own places. No rainbow-vomit in medieval time periods, and no drab colors at a happy, peace party. Someone did try to use a rainbow-vomit mask that was store bought and it just didn't work. But seriously, glitter doesn't stick to anything. Even with glue.

 

I can use this information in so many different areas. When I'm drawing, I can make good, professional pieces of art. When I'm crafting I won't try to use glitter. When I'm decorating a cake, it will match the occasion. And most importantly, when I dress, the colors will no longer clash.

 

In this project, I used collaboration and creativity. I used collaboration during the first day I decorated my mask. I gave helpful recommendations on my friend Whitney's mask and she suggested that I added the butterfly. Collaboration in this case meant to not just receive help but also give help because everyone was doing the same thing.

 

I also used creativity when I added the glitter. If I had added the glitter to the pink side, it would not be balanced. If I just added the glitter to only the left side with the butterfly, it would still look unbalanced so I settled in the middle for left side to have glitter and also a small eyebrow just above the right eye. I learned about balance and emphasis last year. Creativity in this project was to look back and apply past knowledge to something current that you are doing to help the current cause.