Today is the opening of the 2018 Masks Exhibition at the Museum of Art in Fort Collins. The masks are auctioned off as a fundraiser for the museum and this is my 5th year participating!

This is a popular exhibition in Fort Collins because it features a whole spectrum of artists and art styles. Every artist has to use a mask form that’s provided to them to create a work of artwork, but they have freedom on how they interpret the project. Artists use a variety of mediums and subject matters. The show features work by high school students, rising artists, art hobbyists, and professionals. It’s great seeing a full representation of Fort Collins artists.

My mask that I created for this year’s exhibition is inspired by my daughter Holly. She’s currently three years old and said she was a fan of my mask when I showed it to her. The idea behind the mask is that toddlers are like bees… they can be temperamental, but they can also bring a lot of beauty to the world.

The mask form is painted with acrylics, the portrait of Holly is done in watercolors, the bees are shrinky dinks, and the honeycomb is painted hot glue.