~ Community Arts Events & Performance~

When people come together to engage in art making--we create together, help each other, while building bridges to fun, friendships, and spontaneous discovery!

You do not have to be a professional artist, or especially talented in the arts, to be a community artist. All hands, brains and creative gifts are needed to get a large project off the ground. The people shown here are, by profession, real estate agents, designers, engineers, lawyers, draftsmen, zoo keepers, educators, therapists, people from all walks of life...with one thing in common..they love to participate in the creative arts in community.

~Parade Floats & Fantasy Costuming~

Costuming can be the critical addition in designing skits and games for workshops to transform ourselves by donning a mask, odd colorful clothing and funny gags. Costumes are an essential feature in the Santa Barbara Summer solstice parade, at Halloween or in Sacred Theater performance pieces.

Everyone can create a costume--once started they take on a life of their own. The photos shown here are from Summer Solstice parades, Kristena's Annual Halloween Costume Workshops, and the SB Contemporary Art Forums annual Black and Orange Bash.

Peacock, Green Woman, Moon Goddess (KW), Pan, & Fairy Queen w/ BaliMan Ensemble 1992

 

Marie Anntoinette 1993
The wig was done with two blonde wigs layered over a newspaper mache' built up headpiece. The macaw feathers were collected over the years from her bird and glued over a mask form.

Medusa 1993
The wig was built on a bicycle helmet, with heavy wires threaded through the rubber snakes. Wig was sprayed with heavy hairspray. Costume was fabric bought and simple shapes sewn and draped with addition of jewelry, rings snake arm band and green body paint.

The pink gown was vintage found in a thrift shop and used as a core costume to assemble . The neck was cut, pink lace sleeves added, sequins, and leaves sewn on. The big drape side rails was made from newspaper forms and chicken wire, covered in pink lace and satin, with sequins, leaves and silk flowers glued on.

The headpiece was paper mache over plastic tied tight around the head. Then newspaper strips dipped in paper glue was built to form a high round hatform. Silk and lace were draped and glue tacked into place. With silk flowers found at Art From Scrap and a floral staff made with flowers and microfine glitter misted over all.

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Creating masks and costumes for ceremonies, community events has its roots in ancient times. The simple art of mask making working with color or natural ferns, grasses, pods and leaves can reconnect us to the earth and nature's cycles of life.