Techniques

This is a panel of embroidery sewn on a machine upside down on gold leafed cloth

And then the third panel. I sew them all together into one long one reinforcing them with wires

More strips that I will then sew together,turn inside out,stiffen with support, and wire for the arms and legs

After stitching over paper, I have to airbrush, gold leaf the lines and carefully remove the paper stencils

sewing multiple strips on the sewing machine

These are little wads of cotton lint,wheat paste and sisal to ornament the mask

I clumsily painted some ornamental lines in urushi and applied marufun,more polishing yet

Polish it until it glistens layer upon layer.

I am appliying silver dust on urushi using both marufun & nashifun

After the urushi hardens,I am left with the cloud pattern. A thin coat of urushi on top will adhere the powders

Apply another coat of Urushi. A flat human hair brush is preferable.

I paint the black Urushi over pieces of thin abalone shell

Next sprinkle flecks of silver nashijifun no.5 through a bamboo tube and fine screaning

That layer of urushi hardens and I then sand the urushi down to the abalone shell

Use both a sifter as well as a funjitsu brush to direct the flecks.

Black Urushi is painted and then silver marufun is dusted on

Use both a sifter as well as a funjitsu brush to direct the flecks.

TThe crown for the mask is prepared with filligree and silver leaves and abalone.

Now I added a mask made from Urushi Asian Lacquer

Props I use in performance. They are lanterns but cast from 10 part molds and coated with encaustic wax.

Details of the silver leaves and filligree

She then masks off a pattern with tape and airbrushes the first color.such as purple.

Then she will move the mask up and airbrush the next color

The next color is magenta gently airbrushed on. One can also use a screen and fine bristle brush to mist the colors on.

Yellow color added and then the colored areas are masked gently so the gradation of the modeled tones can be airbrushed

The tape is then gentled pealed away to reveal the various colors.

This is another panel