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By: Marie Christine Sipin
The
Philippines is replete with
festivals! Imagine each Philippine
island celebrating their town
fiestas, imagine the abundance
of color and splendor representing
our uniquely inherent culture!
We have the Sinulog in Cebu,
Masskara in Bacolod and Ati-Atihan
in Kalibo, Aklan. These are
but just some of our yearly
crowd drawers in the Philippines.
What these three festivals have
in common, aside from being
the core celebration of the
town saints' feast days are
their colorful and imaginative
masks which never fail to draw
visitors' admiration year after
year.
Today, you can make your own
version of these masks with
your whole family. Choose one
theme like nature, or earth,
air or water or even animals.
You can wear these on birthday
parties, masquerade parties,
use it for your own makeshift
plays for lola and lolo or you
can prop them up against your
bedroom wall for instant art
décor accessories!
You
will need:
1.
corrugated board
2. poster paints (assorted
colors)
3. tub of water
4. rags-for easy clean up
5. mixing plate
6. pair of scissors
7. glue
8. brushes
9. pencil and eraser
10. beads, sequins, various
odds and ends you can find
around your home like buttons,
twigs, wire, etc.
11. ribbon
The designs featured here used
the forest and air as their
themes. You can vary the designs
according to your chosen motiff.
How
to make:
1.
Make an outline of your face
shape on corrugated board
2. Outline where the slits
of the eyes, and mouth are
going to be.
3. Ask an adult to cut out
these portions for you so
you can see and breathe.
4. Check if the slits are
where they should be and if
you find the mask's size and
shape comfortable.
5. Make your design around
the available space. Draw
broken lines, little circles,
series of triangles and other
patterns around your face
shape.
6. Outline the eyes and mouth,
put prominent eyebrows and
nostrils. Use different shapes
for the cheeks like here I
used: leaves and clouds.
7. With your paintbrushes
and poster paints, highlight
and color your masks.
8.
After the paint has dried,
you can now glue on your odds
and ends like the beads, sequins,
buttons and twigs.
9. Ask an adult to make two
holes near the ear part of
the masks so you can thread
a little ribbon through it
and wear it.
Now, you can stage your own
festival, "stage play"
or just play make-believe!
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