he mask maker is a creator of illusions, of intrigue, of mystery and transformation. Venice is the City of Illusion par excellence, the Theatre of the World. It was here, years ago, that my own mask making desire was first fired. Amid her decaying beauty, Carnivale, masquerade balls and masceri, my heart and imagination were captured. My time there was very brief, yet in those few short days the hand that she placed so determinedly upon my soul held fast and firm. It has never left me and has been my constant guide and inspiration.

  hrough the years I have worked with many different materials and methods and I am entirely self-taught. Yet I have always been drawn back primarily to the ancient Venetian technique of paper layering, which I have gradually adapted, transformed and combined into my own personal version and vision.

  y artistic influences are many: costume & theatre, mythology, curios, erotica. I have a deep passion for history, especially the Renaissance, Elizabethan period, 18th Century and the Art Nouveau and Fin de Siecle era of the late 19th Century.  Inspiration also comes to me from the life of the Marchesa Casati, the art of Franz Von Stuck and Bayros, the literature of Baudelaire, Poe, D'Annunzio, and many others.

  y approach to this work is to express it as sculptural drama and art, not as fancy dress. Each piece takes many hours of work to create - some can take many months. I don't use pre-made bases - every mask is crafted individually from the first tiny square of paper to the last brush-stroke of varnish.

  he masks that you will find here are not retrospective, but they will be joined at times by new pieces as I make them. Please return, at whiles,  to find any updates. Some will be for the main and ever-growing Symphony of Shadows tale that has merely begun here, others will be found solely on the Availability page. That section also gives information on which masks are first-come first-served sales, and which pieces may be commissioned. Other updates can be found in Latest News.

    ow begin the Symphony of Shadows masquerade!  (To return to this page from there, select my portrait at the top of each featured mask.)