Women of every status have been a popular subject of painting throughout the history of art. Their power, beauty and greatness portrayed on canvas by a series of brushstrokes; a moment captured in time. Today, images of gorgeous women dominate all forms of media. From my earliest memories, I have admired the photos of beautiful, seductive women seen in magazines and have consistently used them as sources for my paintings. As a makeup artist, I look through magazines on a regular basis, in search of the perfect shot – that stunning model, dolled up to perfection. With the right choice of tools and colours, the right makeup has the potential to alter a woman’s entire look. Highlighting, contouring, blending and layers of precise colour are the building blocks of any impressive makeup application. Similarly, these are also the building blocks of most portrait paintings.
This series was started as an exploration; a way to fuse my makeup artistry and love of painting. At first I painted sexy women from men’s magazines. Discovering my attraction to images of women in popular magazines that ooze sexuality, I would choose a photo of a woman and, after cropping it, paint a portrait of her. Focusing on the face allows me to experiment with colour and ‘paint’ the makeup. Most recently I have been working from photos of models that I did makeup on. My art then comes full circle – makeup artistry on a model for a photo, followed by a painting based on that photo. Paintings and makeup artistry have one thing in common – immaculate blending. Using oil paint, because of its slow drying qualities, allows for slick blending and, to enhance their visual appeal, my sexy paintings are created using bright, luscious colours. Pink is a staple in my colour palette because it’s playful, feminine, vibrant, passionate and connotes a youthful sexuality.
In a way, I use painting as an editing tool – I keep what I like, enhance what I want and edit out the rest.
Like the women in magazines, my paintings instantly attract the viewer. Their intimate composition, lifelike blending and juicy colours are definitely sexually charged. However, sexy girls, the way I paint them, are a sheer visual delight. Ultimately, my paintings are based on my reality. I work with beautiful models and amazing talent, creating art through makeup and photo editing. My daily life is a direct contribution to popular culture and my paintings, like that of Andy Warhol, are a mere observation of the world which surrounds me.
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