http://www.xothique.com/xothblog Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:48:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I've recently finished working on my latest mask - The Alchemist. Based on the traditional Venetian Bauta mask with a Gothic twist, this unique mask is a private commission for Venice carnival 2009. The design allowed me to explore new ideas in leather mask-making, experimenting with rivets and hand tooling ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/11/13/new-mask-designs-i-discovered-rivets-rivets-are-interesting/ Exciting news for lovers of all things dark and gothic: Darklight Industries are pleased to announce the Dark Fantasy Ball 2009! Your hosts, Lilith, Artemis and Gaia welcome you to their night of masquerade and fantasy. Luxuriate in the opulent surroundings and wonder at the array of beautiful, creative masks ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/10/31/happy-halloween-and-news-of-a-masked-ball-in-2009/ I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine. ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/06/14/midsummer-magic-sale/ I have exciting news - some of my artwork is now available as 'pixel-art' kits. This fabulous new idea evokes all the richness of tapestry, yet there is no messing about with calculating the right amount of thread - it's just like creating a mini-mosaic. I think of it as ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/06/02/pixel-art-lady-georgianna-and-faery-masks/ I have made some of my masks available from Etsy, though they are cheaper to buy directly from my site - as Etsy charges a commission for each item sold. It's worth checking out my shop though, as I will occasionally be listing items there that won't be available through ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/03/16/etsy-shop-opened/ A recent conversation with a dear friend sparked some dark and interesting mask ideas, so following on from the oriental masks I did last month, I've remained with papier-mache and am happily experimenting. I've done pretty and colourful masks for a while, so it's high time I indulged my darker ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/02/07/new-mask-work-in-progress-deviant-art-and-digital-painting/ Well, the new year started with a wonderful commission - I was approached to make two masks to be worn at the carnival in Venice. The project - an oriental gentleman and a character from the Beijing opera, posed quite a challenge; one of the masks had to have a ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2008/01/22/masks-for-venice-and-other-new-year-projects/ I've been making masks out of papier-mache for a few years, now. I have no formal training, but having explored and researched many different techniques on my mask-making journey, I like to think I've served my apprenticeship. That is not to say that I am not open to learning new ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2007/10/02/leather_masks/ I've  put together a small slideshow of some of the better pictures of Prince Charles' visit to Newport and Gwent Enterprise's "Enterprising Arts" project in November, including some images kindly provided by photographer Ben Wills (via Enterprising Arts) and South Wales Argus Photosales. If you're interested in learning more about any ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2007/02/14/royal-review/ It has been a hectic couple of months, and I haven't been able to post here as often as I'd like. There's lots to do, but I hope to make more time to update from now on. Over the past few days I've updated the site with some of my most ... http://www.xothique.com/xothblog/2007/02/10/new-art-cards/