Making a Copper Mask, Part 2

 Go HERE for the first post on how to design and shape the mask.

Copper Jaguar Mask

The Copper Jaguar Mask could be used as it is, but I want to add spots and fabric decorations.

RIVETS:  A jaguar’s spots (like the markings on any spotted or striped cat) are unique to the individual, just like human finger prints.  Even black jaguars have spots, though they may not be visible except in bright sunlight.  But the spots on the mask will be highly stylized decorative rivets for a 3-D look.  Rivets are small cylindrical pieces of metal that are commonly used to join two pieces of metal without heat (in blacksmithing, large steel rivets are heated, though the pieces to be joined may not be). 

I drew dots on the copper with a permanent marker and used a drill press to drill holes from the inside of the mask, with the metal resting on a block of scrap wood.  The three hole sizes fit the three sizes of wire that I chose for rivets. 

Holes Drilled for Rivets

Copper wire in gauges 14, 10, and 6 was annealed to soften it.  (Rivets smaller than 16 are more difficult to set, and anything larger than 6 is quite heavy).  The pieces of wire must be long enough to form a substantial domed or flattened ”head” when they are hammered in, but not so long that the shank bends sideways or protrudes from the sheet metal.  For this project, I cut pieces of wire about 3/16″ long, and file the ends flat and smooth.  I usually lay the metal on the anvil for riveting, but the convex surface of the mask needed a domed support.  Fortunately I have a specialized tool for the job:  a forming stake, bought years ago from another blacksmith, made from a trailer hitch ball welded to a length of heavy square bar that slides into the hardy hole on my anvil.  For each rivet, I laid the mask right-side-up on the stake, put the rivet in the hole, and carefully hammered the end of the wire with the ball end of the hammer.  I worked on the edges of the rivet first, to stabilize it, then hammered the center to flatten it, and hammered the edges again to create a dome.  I flipped the mask over and hammered the rivet a couple of times from the back, just to make sure it was securely fastened into the metal.  Here’s the finished mask, with a closer view of some of the rivets.

 

Make a Hammered Copper Mask

 Instructions for making a wearable mask made with sheet metal and basic metalworking techniques, using tools and materials that can be found at most hardware stores.

SAFETY NOTES:  This is not a kid’s project.  It involves sharp-edged tools, hammers, fire, and hot metal.  It is designed for someone who has never worked with metal before, but it does require patience and concentration.  Choose a well-lit, uncluttered work area that is free of children and pets.   

CHOOSE THE IMAGE:  I first used this technique to make a Copper Cat Mask, but it can be applied to masks depicting other animals, birds, or human faces.  First, make a small, simple sketch that captures the essence of the face using only the outline and a few simple contours.  Remember that the mask will not be colored.  Hair, whiskers, etc. can be added later as embellishments, but to be most effective, the mask should be completely recognizable without them.  The mask below is easily identified as feline even without facial markings, whiskers, or pupils in the eyes.   

Cat Mask

I want to make a jaguar mask, so I made this sketch:

Jaguar head sketch

Compared to domestic cats (and small wild cats), the big cats have longer faces, deeper muzzles, and eyes that are smaller in relation to the size of the face.  The jaguar has a round face and small ears that are set quite low on the head.

PAPER MASK:  Before cutting any metal, make a paper template.  Measure the following for the person who will be wearing the mask:  face width, distance between the eyes, height and width of one eye, and the depth of the mask (usually the top of the forehead to the tip of the nose, but it depends on the shape of the mask and how much of the face will be covered). 

FIRST DRAFT:  Use your measurements and your small preliminary sketch to draw the mask.   First, mark the placement of the eyes and draw the eyeholes.  Don’t worry too much about the eye shape at this point – a simple oval is fine.  Draw the outline.  Keep it simple – except for the ears, avoid sharp projecting points, since these will make it difficult to shape the mask and may be a nuisance when you’re wearing it.  Cut out the paper mask and the eyeholes.

CHECK THE FIT:  Look in a mirror and hold the paper mask up to your face, bending it slightly to fit.  Check the size and position of the eyeholes.  No part of your eye should be covered.  If you have trouble seeing clearly, you may need to decrease the distance between the eyeholes and/or enlarge them.  Mark the paper with any adjustments.  Look at the outline.  Are you satisfied with the way it covers your face?  Are the ears positioned and sized correctly in relation to the rest of the mask?  Check the position of the nose, since you may want to cut the nostrils out as breathing holes.

SECOND DRAFT:  Re-draw the mask.  Remember that it will probably be larger and wider than the face of the animal you’re depicting, and the eyeholes may be relatively large for the size of the face.   But even if the shape isn’t entirely realistic, you can adjust the relative proportions of all features except the eyes to make it look more convincing.  Now design the shape of the eyeholes.  Since they will determine the facial expression, try several outlines to see which one gives the effect you want, but be careful to stay within the boundaries of the size and placement that you measured with the first draft.  Cut out the second draft and try it on.  You may need to make several paper versions to get it perfect. 

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:  Sheet metal snips or shears (several types are available; two are shown here), file, awl or sharp-pointed large nail, small propane blowtorch and lighter, medium-sized ballpeen hammer, and a sheet of 400 grit emery paper.  The only specialized tool that you will need is something with a round hole that is slightly larger than the ball end of your hammer.  This tool is the “anvil” that will support the work while you hammer, and the hole gives you something to “sink” the metal into.  Probably the simplest such tool is a wood block, such as a piece of 2 x 4, with a hole drilled in it.  File the top edge of the hole so it is smooth and rounded, so you don’t hammer a crease into the metal.  (You can also use a thick-walled piece of plastic pipe or a flared piece of steel pipe clamped in a vise.)  

If you have them, a jeweler’s saw and a motorized grinding tool (such as a Dremel moto-tool or its heavier-duty, more expensive cousin, the Foredom flex-shaft machine) can save time, but they are not essential.

Tools for a Metal Mask

CHOOSING AND CUTTING THE METAL:  Copper is the easiest metal to work with, though you can also use brass (a little harder) or sterling silver (dramatic but expensive). Aluminum and steel require different techniques and are not covered here.  If the metal is too thin, it will not hold its shape, and if it is too thick, it will be difficult to hammer and heavy to wear.  The easiest metal to find (and work with) is the sheet copper that is used for roofing and other building projects, and is available at many hardware stores.  It should be roughly the thickness of a piece of poster board.  I’m not giving an exact gauge here because it will depend on the manufacturer, if it’s given at all.  The rolled-up metal foils that are sold for craft projects are too thin for this particular project.

Lay the paper template on the metal and draw around it with a Sharpie or other permanent marker, or score the metal with an awl.  Cut out the shape with metal shears.  For the eyeholes, poke holes with a hammer and large nail so you can get the shears in,  and cut a rough shape.  Use a file to smooth the inside of the eyeholes and the outside edge of the cutout.  (Or cut the eyeholes out with a jeweler’s saw).

Jaguar Mask: Paper Template and Copper Cutout

ANNEALING:  Before hammering, the metal must be annealed (heated and softened).  Work outdoors.  Ordinary UV-blocking sunglasses should offer sufficient eye protection.  (Yes, the torch gives off UV radiation.  All flames do.)  Place the metal on concrete, a stone, or a firebrick and heat it with a propane torch.  Move the torch slowly over the metal until the entire piece has turned dark and/or shows swirling iridescent colors.  Shut off the torch and let the metal cool.  It may be covered with black or brown powdery firescale (copper oxides) that will flake off as you work. 

HAMMERING:  Using the ball end of the hammer, begin hammering on the BACK SIDE of the mask, in the center of the forehead, placing the metal over the hole in the wood block.   Use light, even taps that are very close together or overlapping, and keep the metal moving – don’t hammer too hard or long in one spot.   Work outward towards the ears, the bridge of the nose, and the edge of the mask.  You will slowly “sink” the metal into the hole.  Hammer the cheeks, then the muzzle, and then the bridge of the nose in the same way, starting in the center and working towards the edges.  You’ll see the nose automatically begin to define itself between the domes of the other hammered areas.  Hammer it last, just enough to give a shallow dome without distorting the surrounding metal.  Flip the mask over, and hammer the ears.  To hammer the edges of the metal into a gentle curve, tilt the mask up about 45 degrees, resting on the flat part of the block (not the hole), and hammer along the edge.  For this first heat, try for even, gently domed contours over the entire mask, and don’t worry about details.

JAGUAR MASK after the first hammering session:

Jaguar Mask - First Heat

ANNEALING AGAIN:  You’ll eventually feel the metal begin to harden and become more resistant to shaping.  Once you begin to feel this effect, stop hammering, anneal the metal again, and let it cool.  You will do this several times before you’re finished, so be patient.  Annealing the metal softens it and relieves the stresses of hammering to keep it from cracking.  If you hammer the metal for too long without annealing, you risk developing creases, flat spots, cracks, and other permanent flaws.  When you take a break to anneal the metal, it gives you a chance to inspect the work carefully and plan what you will do next.   In any metalwork, studying, imagining, and planning are essential parts of the entire process, not just the beginning. 

HAMMERING – ADDING DETAIL:  As the mask takes shape, you’ll see areas that need to be raised higher, edges that need to curl under, or areas such as the ears and nose that need more definition.  After the second heat, you’ll refine the shapes of each area and begin to add details.  It will become easier to see which areas need work, and your hammering will feel less random.  If your hammer blows are overlapping, you’ll see the surface begin to smooth out and look less dimpled.

Here’s the JAGUAR MASK after the second hammering session.  The relief is higher, the nose and forehead are better defined, and a file has been used to begin to refine the bottom edge of the mask.  But the  eyes haven’t been touched, and the forehead and muzzle need more definition.

Jaguar Mask - Heat 2

HAMMERING – FINISHING TOUCHES:  By now, there should be only a couple of areas that still need a lot of work, and most of your hammering will be to refining the domes and making sure both sides of the mask look the same.  (The jaguar mask was finished in three heats, but the cat mask took four.  The exact number doesn’t matter, since YOU are the one who decides when it’s done.  You should remember that the metal grows a bit thinner as you hammer it, and as you develop higher and more complex relief, the shaping becomes more of a challenge and the chance of spoiling the previous work increases.  Don’t overwork the metal.)

JAGUAR MASK – Finished!  The forehead has been given a “brow ridge” to add definition, the muzzle has been refined, and the top edges of the mask has been filed into shape.  Nostril holes were drilled in the nose, the edges of the mask were sanded smooth (very important to avoid cuts and scrapes when you’re wearing it, and to give a finished look) and 14 gauge copper wire rings were added to the sides.  (Punch or drill holes for these.  If you don’t have any wire, get a couple of 1/2 inch  split rings, such as are used for keyrings.)  Note that the domes are not completely smooth, and the metal still has a slightly dimpled look.  In order to get rid of the dimples, you would need to anneal the mask one more time, place it over a round polished stake (or the ballpeen hammer clamped in a vise) and use a very flat silversmith’s hammer to planish the metal on the FRONT SIDE, which will give the domes a smoother shape…IF you know what you’re doing and you have stakes that are the right size and shape.  This is a lot of extra work and could spoil the lifelike, hand-hammered vigor of a mask made of copper or brass, though I’d do it for one made of sterling silver.  I didn’t do it for the cat or the jaguar.

Jaguar Mask - Heat 3

You could stop here.  If you want the copper to be bright and shiny (as I did for the cat mask, since I was wearing it at night), you can sand the mask with emery paper (400 grit first, then 600 for a higher polish).   Here are the two masks shown together for comparison.  The jaguar hasn’t been polished, and the cat was polished and has since tarnished.

Copper Jaguar and Cat Masks

Copper Jaguar and Cat Masks, side view

 TIES:  Ribbons, leather cords, strings, and even elastic bands will not hold the mask securely for a long time, especially if you will be walking or dancing while wearing it.  Instead, make ties from strips of cotton fabric, about two feet long and two inches wide.  Tied in a square knot, these will be very secure (try wearing the mask around the house first to get the fit right).  Make the ties out of black fabric (simple, elegant, and inconspicuous) or use a fabric that will integrate with the rest of your costume.

The Jaguar Mask isn’t finished.  It’s wearable now.  But in a later post, I’ll add spots and ornaments.

Black Cat Deck: Jack of Fangs

The Jacks are more detailed than most of the other cards.  They show cats that I know well, whose personalities express the meaning of the card particularly well.  The Jack of Fangs features Flounder, a tiny black shorthair who has lived at the Hermitage Cat Shelter for several years.  He was born with paralyzed hind legs, so the muscles in his hindquarters are underdeveloped and he drags his legs and tail when he walks.  In contrast, his chest, neck, and front legs have grown exceptionally sturdy and muscular, and he is able to flip upside down and “stand” on his front paws and head for a few seconds at a time, just for fun.  But he is most memorable for his big fluffy head and enormous round deep golden eyes that give him an owl-like stare.  He is an intelligent, intense cat with a strong personality, full of power, affection, and impish humor – a “magic cat” with a larger-than-life presence.  He was once a friend of Scootch, the female paralytic whose image I used for the card backs.  He tested positive for the feline leukemia virus, so he lives in a special enclosure with other FeLV+ cats, though so far he has shown no signs of illness.

Jack of Fangs

In the drawing, Flounder is surrounded and aided by mysterious night-flying spirit helpers:  small Saturniid silk moths whose eyed wings match his own wide-eyed, curious expression.  The moths are native to southeastern Arizona but have similar relatives throught the U.S.  They are Dysschema howardi (back), Agapema anona (chest), Automeris randa (tail), Sphinx cerisyi (hind foot), Schinia jaguarina (forefoot).

Here is one of my favorite Flounder photos – I think it’s beautiful because it shows the latent, springlike energy in his strong little body, but there was no way to work it into the card, since too much detail would be lost at that size.

Flounder meditating

Black Cat Deck: Jaguar or Joker #1

The Black Cat Deck will have two Jokers, each showing a black cat with a jaguar.  This theme gives the deck a bit of geographic context, since I live at the northern edge of the jaguar’s present range.  The idea came from this photo that I took of Beluga when he still lived at the shelter: 

Beluga Imitating a Black Jaguar

 Jokers, of course, are “wild cards” that can be used in several ways or left out of the deck altogether.  The Black Cat Jokers, called Jaguars, have ties to the Tarot – the first card represents the Fool, and the second will represent the World.  The first card shows Beluga walking with a black jaguar.  Their poses are mirror images of each other, showing their close relationship.  The two cats are shadows, protectors, and soul guardians of each other.  Most of the time, they walk in different worlds, so each can be the other’s spirit guide in a strange place.  But they meet and become one in the Underworld.

Jaguar Card #1

The other items are adapted from protective household objects in the Santeria tradition.  They represent the three Guerreros or Warriors:  Ochossi (usually represented by a bow and arrow, but here shown by three claws – African lion, jaguar, and mountain lion); Ogoun (usually a machete, here a jaguar head whose tongue forms the blade of a dagger); Eleggua (also called Esu or Legba, usually a clay head with cowrie shell features).  Osun, the watchman who accompanies the Warriors, is usually represented by a cup fringed with bells and topped with a rooster.  Here he is indicated by a Pre-Columbian style Mexican bell topped with a tiny jaguar.  As tradition demands, Osun occupies a high place (at the top of the card) so he can see what’s going on.  Eleggua, guardian of doorways and crossroads, is placed appropriately at the bottom center of the card, with the other two warriors beside him.  So the two feline adventurers have powerful allies:  Ogoun’s strength and endurance, Ochossi’s focus and tracking skills, Eleggua’s opportunistic Trickster intelligence and adaptability, and Osun’s silent watchfulness.

For those who don’t like the symbols described above, or want something extra, the objects can also correspond with the suit symbols in the deck.

Black Cat Deck: Three of Fangs

The Three of Fangs could be subtitled “Being Invisible”.  A black cat skull, viewed from the top, has a smaller skull positioned like a third eye.  What does it see, if anything?  Below, a triskele of fangs (decorated to look like blind raven heads) encloses an empty, weeping cat eye.  Like the Three of Swords in the Tarot, this card at its best may suggests some sudden insight, revelation, or clarification, usually in regard to a relationship or complex situation.  At its worst, it may indicate alienation or heartbreak. 

Three of Fangs

In some American folk magic traditions, black cats contain a special bone that has the power to make a person invisible.  Depending on the tradition, the bone must be carried in a secret bag, used with other items in a special ritual, held in the mouth, or even eaten.  I haven’t been able to find out which bone it is supposed to be, or even whether it’s the same one for every black cat.  This unpleasant bit of folklore is a 19th century blend of African and European magic with very old roots, so I have chosen the skull (a powerful symbol in its own right) to represent the mysterious bone that confers invisibility.

Homeless cats are invisible to most people.  Blindness, either partial or total, is a fairly common affliction among these creatures.  It can be caused by malnutrition, injury, and various illnesses, all of which are preventable if the cat lives indoors in a safe, loving home.  Yet because their eyes are so beautiful and their gaze so direct (and forward-facing, just like humans), blind cats often inspire unease, disgust, or even fear rather than compassion, and they are less likely to be rescued or adopted.

This was a very difficult card to draw.  I made several sketches and ink drawings before coming up with the final design, which is much more abstract than I originally intended.

Black Cat Deck: Card Back Motif

The design for the card backs will be quite intricate, as is traditional for playing cards, in order to provide a visual contrast with the spare, uncluttered card fronts.  Here’s the image that will eventually be doubled and surrounded by a border so the card backs will be reversible.  The cat is Beluga in one of his favorite sleeping positions.

Black Cat Card Back Motif

Although the ink drawing shows the Full Moon, the design is based on one of a series of eight paintings that I did a couple of years ago showing Beluga with the primary phases of the moon.

Beluga Dark Moon

Letting in the Light

I’ve been sidelined by illness for a couple of weeks, but am back at work now.  I looked for ways to restore balance around the house, and decided to cut a window in the door to my studio.  I keep the door closed because some of my more primitive cats will spray and wreak all kinds of destruction if they are allowed to enter unsupervised.  Now I can keep out the naughty cats and still allow air and light to flow freely.  Photo shows the skylight over my desk, viewed from the hall.

Skylight Window

Black Cat Deck: Four of Paws

Adytum

The Four of Paws is a reworking of the Adytum painting that I did last summer.  This card shows a cat sleeping inside a cell – a prison or sanctuary?  A picture or carving of a weeping angel cat watches from above.  Whatever it knows is hidden from the resting cat, at least for now.  The iron door has paw-shaped hinges, a heart-shaped lock, and a key ready for someone to come and claim the precious creature – theft or rescue?  The small size of the cell suggest that if the door were left open, the little room might become a cat’s favorite sleeping nook or even a nicho, a place for a shrine. 

Four of Paws

The cat is Impy, who would never enter a place like this voluntarily, because he gets anxious in small spaces.  But when found him as an injured stray, we couldn’t get near him and had to trap him to take him to the vet.  We found that he was not feral but merely scared, and craved a loving home after someone dumped him outside.

Black Cat Deck: Five of Masks, Nine of Fangs

So far, most of the cards show cats doing ordinary, universal cat things.  The cats just happen to be black.   Only the the Two, Three, and Ten of Masks, the Two of Paws, and the Queen of Paws present black cats as special or different from other felines.  They also demonstrate that all black cats do not look alike, which is one of the deck’s themes.  But several cards will explore specific black cat challenges and advantages, and address some of the myths and folklore that contribute to human ambivalence about black cats (and by extension, felines in general).  I hope the final deck will combine all these diverse aspects into one true image.

“All these you are, and each is partly you,

and none is false, and none is wholly true.”

- Stephen Vincent Benet, John Brown’s Body

The Five of Masks is about personal identity.   The only sign of a live cat in this card is a pair of eyes peering out of a box.  The other four cat faces represent idealized felines.  The box is a hiding place for cats – a “kitty condo” with a door cut like a cat face and a roof decorated like a shrine.  Beside it, a stuffed toy and an Egyptian statue of the Goddess Bast have been placed like guardians.  The deity, the plaything, the ornament, and the abstracted outline are all familiar human-created feline symbols, yet the tenant of the shrine ignores them all as strangers.  Inside, a real, living creature watches, unseen and unknown, waiting silently for understanding as an individual…or just wanting to be left alone.

Five of Masks

The Nine of Fangs deals with real or imagined fears of personal attack.  It shows a cat with a fully puffed tail, indicating that he is startled, excited, and perhaps afraid.  Above him hangs a black cat poppet made from fabric, buttons, hair, and a gnarled root.  It holds nine black pins and wears a necklace of nine cat fangs.  Depending on your point of view, the primitive doll could be an amusing curio, an interesting cat toy, or a sinister “voodoo doll” or magical object used to control or ”put a root” on the spooked cat.   The cat is Leon, an intense, excitable little guy who fluffs his tail and runs to investigate whenever the other cats start facing off.  He even gets “poofy tail” when playing with his toys.

Nine of Fangs

Black Cat Deck: Four of Masks

The Four of Masks shows a cat guarding its favorite possessions, including a rug adorned with cat faces at the corners, a string of beads, a bell, and a ball. 

Four of Masks

In a colony, some cats are very possessive about “their” toys and blankets.  Others are quite happy to regard such things as community property, and some simply ignore them.  An interest in human-made playthings is not the same as the desire to hunt (cats know the difference between live prey and a plastic ball), nor does it have anything to do with the need for personal territory.  Instead, it seems to be very similar to the human urge to surround ourselves with objects that are beautiful, interesting, entertaining, or comforting.

Fric with Beads

The cat is Fric, a small roly-poly male who came to the shelter several years ago with his brother, Frac.  They were kittens rescued from a feral colony.  Frac was quickly adopted, but shy Fric remained at the shelter.  He follows me around and picks a spot (usually out in the open or on an empty shelf) to sit and watch me, “talking” with his eyes.  Occasionally he lets me pet him, but he isn’t comfortable with it very often.  When he stops and stares, I know that is my signal to sit near him and spend quiet time together “in the place between fleeing and clutching”, as I described it when I first began to work with these shy cats.