About Christy Walton
Fancy feathers, Austrian crystals and my glue gun are my favorite toys. I enjoy working with different bases, from plastic to clay and papier mache. Soon, I hope to start working in all leather.
Because I love Italy, and masks, the ideas coalesced onto The Masque, another term for a masquerade ball. I have been to Venice three times now and hope to return, during Carnivale, soon. Images of Italy, New Orleans and Rio inspire some of my designs, my dreams form the others.
I think masks are a way of bringing out the true person in each of us. Each mask is different and different masks suit different wearers. In my opinion, there is a mask for every person, that, like makeup or clothing, enhances the wearer's soul or aura, if one believes in that.
A single beautiful mask will not look perfect on every person, it must be an extension of his or her own personality to look right. When the wearer finds the perfect mask, the face may be hidden, but the personality is brought forth.
Personally, I have moved 18 times and don’t plan to again soon, though I have lived all over Maryland, California, Georgia, Italy, and the Philippines. I currently live in Portland, Oregon. I have really good vacation pictures, since I love traveling. I have a great relationship with my family and actually like them as people. I am a working REALTOR, so if you need to buy or sell a home, I’m your gal!
I started making masks when I was in high school. A teacher said it was Mardi Gras and we were going to do a masking project, but first, we had to make our masks. I still have my first mask. It's just cut cardboard, colored with a magic marker, on a straw, but it was the beginning of a lifelong passion.
I started in 2000, making newer masks, to fit in with my design for another website. From there, mask making quickly turned into an obsession, then a money making venture when friends wanted to actually buy my work. I won't stop now, I love it too much, even when I accidentally paint myself blue.
About Chiara Walton
I am Christy’s daughter. I was born in Italy and my entire life has been about art in one form or another. Spending my whole life watching my whole family create has ingrained in me creation as a love language. My grandfather is a carpenter, my grandmother is a fiber artist, and you can read all about my mother in the above section. I say that I craft and make art because it’s the only thing I know how to do; my mom says that isn’t true. Creation is meditation for me, no matter what I am creating.
So, what do I make? Whatever I want; free will, baby. Most of the time, I can be found with either a crochet hook or a garden spade in my hand, but sometimes something will tickle my brain and I will end up spending a week learning and doing The Thing. If you also have ADHD, this is probably a familiar sentiment to you. Every once in a while, you can find me painting, writing, or helping my long suffering mother with her masks.
My biggest inspirations are my family, both related and found. I’ve known that I was queer since I was a pre-teen, and growing up in a supportive family was a privilege that I was gifted with. Crazy, a blue haired artist ended up with a nonbinary lesbian firstborn. The queer community has guided me, supported me, and lent a hand in making me who I am today, and I try to reflect that in my art as much as possible.
Fantasy novels, movies, and shows are what keep my gears turning when the rust sets in. Since I was a child with a Gail Carson Levine collection, I have wished more than anything to fly to Neverland, hike Middle Earth, and charge into battle alongside Redwall. There is a deep love in my heart for anything epic adventure or dragon related.