Paper Mache masks

I know this is one that is done in nearly every art program.  For this I tried to emphasize the idea of unity, craftmanship, and painting techniques.  The students were given the challenge to create a mask that did not look like it was made out of paper mache and that it was all one piece, not just a balloon with shapes attached.  I demonstrated some techniques for clean construction and ideas for armature.  They were encouraged to add embellishments as well.  Some chose to recreate characters from their youth, some chose symbols that represented them, while others tried to illustrate belief constructs.  The variety of masks and the craftsmanship was unbelievable.  The students really rose to the challenge for this age old project.