I am a Twenty-eight year old makeup artist (SPFX, Beauty,Bodypainting), painter, and amateur photographer living in North Carolina. Exploring the woods that surrounded my childhood home was a favorite pastime. As an only child, I spent hours creating my own fun amongst the trees and dreaming up lands of fairies and magical creatures. To this day, I create with my childhood memories held close to my heart. Back inside the house I was surrounded by strong women. My grandmother, our loving matriarch, was a hugely positive force in my life and remains a constant source of inspiration. I attempt to create images which reconcile my feelings for that strong female figure.
I’ve been creating since I could hold a stick and draw in the earth. My parents were always supportive of my artistic side, entering me in coloring and art competitions since I was 5 years old. I received my first set of oils when I was 9 years old; I began painting with watercolor and acrylic a few years later. At University I studied Art History and Design. I did not graduate University, but leaving school was so freeing and it allowed me so much time to focus on my artwork.
Today, I am primarily a Makeup Artist specializing in Special Effects, Bodypainting and Beauty makeup. I have created work for films, music videos, commercials, children’s television shows, theatrical productions, photo shoots and live events. In 2014, I resolved to focus on my personal artwork. I went full steam into the Bodypainting world. I entered my first competitions, Living Art Greensboro (Greensboro, NC), where I placed 2nd in the Emerging Artist Category and Living Art America (Atlanta, GA) where I placed 4th in that same category. Competing in those two events has lit a fire inside of me, which drives me every day to create new designs and bigger and better art work to stay relevant and fresh in the bodypainting world and beyond.
As a Special Effects Makeup Artist, I sculpt, mold and cast all of my prosthetic pieces. I do all of my fabrication work including headpieces and costume pieces. As my “fall back” job I am an Art Director, Show Coordinator and Supervising Makeup Artist for a nationally recognized haunted house, coming up on its 30th Anniversary. I have access to amazing original film quality sets, thousands of handmade, one of a kind costumes and film quality props. I try to use all that is at my disposal for photo shoots, installations and film work. Thankfully my bosses are very supportive of my individual creative endeavors and allow me a lot of creative free range with my work, which means I am rarely, if ever, bored at work.
2015 will be a year of new and exciting artwork from me. I am reaching out to new publications, competitions, and new models. I’m ready to show the world what I can do. I have been working on new original designs, sculpting new prosthetics and creating a whole collection of fabricated pieces to add to my art work arsenal this year. I am excited to see what the future holds.