I am entirely too satisfied with myself today.

[merimask]

Oh...my god people.  Remember that lion mask I was talking about?  Look!

I totally nailed the look of old bronze, don't you think?  These pictures are pretty good but the mask in person is even more stunning.  It really looks exactly like an old bronze mask!

 

I am so freaking happy with this mask...

I really hope Mikka is happy with this mask...I'm so crazy about it that I want to do more!  Oh, it really energizes me when I make something I really like.  ^__^

Also, since I am a busy little bee (and I am running out of big pieces of leather) I made a handfull of these charming ginkgo leaf keychains...

They are up in my Etsy shop, of course.

Meanwhile, I am really enjoying the news this weekend, for a change.  It's so uplifting!  Watching Obama move closer towards his presidency...it's a really happy news cycle to be sure.  So many hundreds and thousands of hopeful faces, you can't help but feel good about it!  I'm watching the concert on the Mall in DC (on TV...I was going to take Char but decided not to & now I'm sorry we didn't make the trip)...U2 and Bruce Springstein woo!  How cool is that? 

I took a break and took Kiba out for a long hike in the woods.  We havern't done that much this winter (three feet of snow is no fun to walk in...& then it got too cold).  Today was a balmy 22 degrees which is still cold but really, over 30 degrees warmer than it's been here all week!  I didn't even wear a hat.  It was about a 3 mile walk and I really enjoyed getting out in the fresh air.  Kiba had so much fun, too.  I wish I'd brought my camera; it was snowing lightly and the woods were just beautiful.   Kiba's all pooped out now & frankly so am I...walking in foot-deep snow is a workout! 
 

Anyway, it's back to work for me.  I have cut all the remaining leather into big projects (more cool dragons) and I'm nearly through with those.  Pictures soon!

Comments

[chibi-kaz.livejournal.com]

Wicked cool, that. You did indeed nail the old-bronze look.

OK, since I have a deadline now (March 13th), I officially ask if I can commission a mask of a russian firebird. Do you have the ability to take on this commission by that deadline?

I'm this ID at Hotmail dotcom if you want to talk this over.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm curious to know what kind of people commission masks from you? Just people who love your artwork, or do they use them for a purpose? Inquirying minds want to know!!

I totally nailed the look of old bronze, don't you think?

[pamwax.livejournal.com]

Yes actually I do. He is beautiful. I did forget to tell you though that my favorite is no longer the blue mask but the lion in your last post. Looks almost real.. Now I am not sure it just may be this fellow. I love the dragons but I really love the lions.

[airspaniel.livejournal.com]

Wow. I think that's my favorite mask you've ever done! The colors are simply GORGEOUS!

I'd love to see how that effect would look on one of your half gear steampunk masks.

Hooray for walks and hooray for Kiba! And hooray for doing what you love, and making things you're truly proud of. ^_^

Gorgeous mask

[musingnmeandering.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Do you suppose the happiness of this time had something to do with how well it turned it out? Your energy was positive, maybe? I know I feel like I can do anything, right now. I'm so happy to be alive now, and a citizen of this wonderful country. I too, feel renewed. Silly, eh?

Happy Inaugeration Day!
hhollyd

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

That's great, that it turned out how you wanted it to. And I know this comment is so short it'll be hard to think of something to reply with that feels like it's worth the effort to type out, lol. I'm fine with a one word response like 'yeah' or something. :)

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

I sent a very enthusiastic comment much earlier, and LJ ate it. Here's the gist:

Looks spectacular - you nailed the old bronze look.

I think that treatment would look astonishing on your (new) green man or the medusa.

It might also make a really neat dragon plaque - the ones you did without the tails, coming out of the foliage - with english ivy for the leaves, like an old sculpture being overcome by the ivy.

There's a good chance I'm going to be ordering something in that look, I just have to decide what...

I totally nailed the look of old bronze, don't you think?

[(Anonymous)]

Omigosh. That mask is amazing. If I didn't know you and the medium you work in, I would never have guessed that was leather. That mask looks ancient, as if it came out of a Minoan or Mycenaean excavation. Honest, it reminds me a lot of the mask of Agamemnon, even though that's gold and this is bronze, I mean leather..., and that's a guy and this is a lion... Oh heck, I'm not explaining it well, but I see what I see:-) Anyway, it's fabulous. (snowy)

[empath-eia.livejournal.com]

Oh holy shit, that's unbelievable. I've been staring at it for five minutes and am still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that it's not metal. *___*

In any case, it's absolutely beautiful. ♥

[zannachan.livejournal.com]

LJ ate my comment as well, but basically it said that the lion mask is stunning, and so realistic looking. And I love the ginko leave keychains--I love ginko leaves, and the keychains are great.

random paserby

[nuri-chan.livejournal.com]

you know, I clicked on your lj because I thought you looked pretty, and I'm SO glad that I did. Your masks are AMAZING, I've bookmarked your etsy store and that little dragon keychain is going to make a fantastic gift for my mother when I buy it for her birthday in march. I'm SO happy that I stumbled onto your page! You have such amazing work!

[moko-moko.livejournal.com]

this is incredible Meri! The colors used and the cool way you made that aged coppery effect is just so, so perfect.

It reminds me of this building near the state house with these fabulous giant oak doors with lion head door knocker holders, and you captured that feeling here (intentional or not, haha) wonderfully! Eeee, this is a fabulous direction, yo :3