Bio Ursula Roma lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and makes her living as an illustrator and graphic designer, but because she enjoys working in sculpture and relief, she spends much of her free time exploring different dimensional mediums. For the past 10 years she has been experimenting with various types of mask forms. Her influences include Native American, African, Mexican, and other mask-making cultures, but her masks do not look like traditional facial masks or headdresses of these cultures. For most of those 10 years, she has made masks with board, canvas, paint adorned with beads and wire. Her recent work has changed its ingredients and deepened in dimension. The three-dimensional masks and totems she has been working on recently are made from recycled materials such as driftwood, old weathered boards, hand-carved machine tooling dies, rusted yard tools, computer parts, utensils, sprockets, springs, gears, wire, beads, buttons, nails, and paint. Items such as rusted scrap found in junkyards, flea markets and factories all hold the potential to be transformed into pieces of art. Garbage night, dumpster diving, and basement investigations all turn up inspirational supplies for her masks. They can be viewed at Peggy Erikson Gallery in Half Moon Bay, California. Reflection Three years ago I had the privilege of spending the last month of my grandmother’s life with her in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She stayed at home in her apartment because she was under the care of a wonderful hospice program (Wissahicken Hospice). That month was a gift to me, and my experience changed me in fundamental ways. I wanted to help others in need of such a program, so I anxiously agreed to paint this mask. Thank you for allowing me to give back. Much of the artwork I create contains abstract shapes. Upon getting the mask with its fixed facial features, I attempted to abstract each element to suit my painting style. This mask came to me while I was struggling with some monumental changes…and painting her released much of the fear that overwhelms me as I try to prepare for the future. I named the mask KEB, after someone very special to me; someone who encouraged me to pursue my artwork, and with this contribution, I carry on her spirit. She showed me that the most important thing in life is love, free and unconditional.