What If It's Not a Mask?
Here’s my nod to the Halloween-horrors of life: the mask that isn’t a mask. It’s the face of cruelty and ignorance and greed and hate…all gussied up with feathers and pretty colors. Try to remove it and you’ll find that it’s not a mask at all. It’s the visage of evil, not a treat at all.
Scanned image of me in a mask, with photo images of tree trunks added for texture and one image of my eyes (I don’t keep my eyes open for scanning…). Editing and digital painting done in Photoshop Elements 3, scanning completed in ArcSoft Photostudio and CanoScan8800F.
What If It's Not a Mask? belongs to the following groups:
ABSTRACT DIGITAL ART AND WRITING, Bits and Pieces, Core [C.O.R.E], EMI - The Group, in-between, Lifeline, Moody and Evocative (no nudes), Old farts of redbubble, Outsiders, Photo Manipulators, Safe Haven, Self as Other, Shameless Self-Promotion, Textures Unlimited and Voices of the Dark and the Deep Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
cherylc1
Awesome! great title!!
robpixaday replied
MANY thanks!!!!!!
F.A. Moore
Extraordinary, Robin!
robpixaday replied
Hey, thanks!!
And thank you for adding it to your favorites!
I read The Masque of the Red Death when I was 9…..it had a tremendous impact on my life, how I see the world.
F.A. Moore
“But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps that more of thought crept, with more of time into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled. And thus too, it happened, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, of horror, and of disgust.” —Edgar Allen Poe
Robin, last year, I had the occasion to meet the “movers and shakers” of the Poe museum (Richmond, Virginia). A family friend’s partner is involved with them. I was co-hosting a literary and poetry radio show at the time, so it was a wonderful opportunity. I haven’t visited the physical museum though in years. He was and still is an influential writer, author, and poet. So glad to know your inspiration.
robpixaday replied
“The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood—and his broad brow, with all the features of his face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.”
::shivers::
That entire story changed my life…colors meant so much more than they had (and they were always viscerally special to me…some of them make me ache, some make my heart beat more slowly); life and death climbed onto a sliding-scale for me…..masks revealed more masks and I think it’s around the time of reading this story that I recognized in mysef a tremendously powerful skepticism and mistrust of life and humanity that still haunts me.
I ❤ Poe. That’s so COOL that you met those people!!!!!! WOW!!!!!And you went to the museum….also WOW!!!!!
Thank you Frannie!!
DevineDayDreams
COOOL!!!!!!
robpixaday replied
Daisy!!!! Hi!!!!!!!! I’m so happy you like this!! Thank you!!!!!!!
F.A. Moore
Richmond would not be a far trip for you, by Amtrak, and it’s only 1.5 hours from me by car. Maybe we should meet up there sometime. Would be fun to go the museum after so many years (and other museums there too). He greatly influenced my writing in my youth, also. But skepticism of humanity at such a tender age, Robin? Wow, that must certainly have colored your life.
This mask really takes on new meaning. But I want to say that even apart from the “Poe” connection, you have created, here, what seems to be an expert bit of digital magic and beguiling art.
(P.S. Yes, at a nice gathering at the birthplace of one of the U.S. presidents, where family friends live; actually a rather smallish place on what’s often called “plantation row” outside of Colonial Williamsburg, but inside Williamsburg limits, I believe. A German forestry company has owned the property for the last 30 years, as I understand. Very beautiful, natural area, covered in forests [and old plantations/gentlemen’s farms, now; but many still within the respective original families].)
robpixaday replied
Frannie this is so kind of you! MANY thanks!
(and I’ll send you a bubblemail)
tribalillusions
cooL textUreS & conCePt!!
leonie7
just fabulous love the colours
Squealia
Great work
Betty Mackey
That tongue hanging out really gets me. Shivers.
JUSTART
great
MelDavies
Stunning, great colours.
valzart
w0wee! fantastic creation sweetheART ;} happy hippy hugglez
Erhan OZBIYIK
WOnderful work !! Sister, I am always amazed of your works.. The way you see is wow !!! Its unique :)
Great Hugs :)
Lee-Anne Raffe...
Love the colours and the PP. The texture work is outstanding
LoneAngel
way cool .. love it
Jeff Burns
How creative this is so cool!!!!
Antanas
so lovely creation
Anna Larson
Lots of work put into this, beautiful colors, now I have to read this story… love
E. Poe…
Bruce Miller
This is what I want to be for Halloween!! Wildly imaginative image!
LjMaxx
Very creative Robin.. I also liked reading your words with it.. Very well done indeed~
nadine henley
but those eyes are so sad and misunderstood! just a softie really wanting to be recognised!
robpixaday replied
Awwwww…that’s so nice!!!!!!
(Thank you!!)
kenspics
YIKES!!!!!
The seductive beauty of evil.. superbly portrayed!!!
Fabulous “un-mask”ing!!!!!
youguysrsilly
wow!the Poe quotes really creeped me out! I actually haven’t read much of Poe. wow.
I already liked the picture and the title, Rob. But when you add the Poe stuff to it, it’s reeeeally good. scarey.
There’s some kind of a Poe museum in North Philly. When I was looking to move once, we looked at apartments down the street from it. I don’t know exactly what’s inside though.
toriyule
love the image and title! excellent work
maxy
If it’s NOT a mask… then it is one very very colorful person I would LOVE to meet!!! This is fantastic!!! xoxo!
bev langby
oh my i did a work very similar to this , i must find it , this drew me in when i opened all art on your gallery wow and im also a Poe lover , so glad u found me lol i shall return when time permits lol u know Frannie has me busy at the moment lol