4 days of paint and glitter I really looked forward to, as we’d lost my pregnancy late on a few months earlier and needed some distraction – and this lovely bunch were the best & kindest help ever. So excuse me looking an even worse mess than usual.
This year Pashur, a fab American artist, had asked to come and teach there; he and Jay Bautista were amazing.
Pashur painting on Gracie
It was also Laurence’s birthday, and even though he was just back from the USA and heading up a Stag party the next day, he kindly drove over to model for me on the main body paint comp day.
As it was his 30th, Jennie arranged a beautiful cake (as one of LL’s superman body-paints) and I’d got a superman (in black so paint wouldn’t show!) dressing-gown for him. And we got the whole dining room to sing to him of course.
It was Eug’s birthday too
On the main paint comp day, I tried a bald cap (my 2nd ever attempt!) and facial prosthetics on LL to transform him into a svelte ‘The Rock’ from the Fantastic Four.
His back I attempted re-creating a comic page of how scientist Ben gets transformed in a cosmic space storm, set against that space storm.
The catwalk was a fab idea of Jennies and totally worth all her stress. Each artist had chosen music to suit their theme, whilst Shelley read out a prepared blurb on the design – good to hear the ideas and inspiration!
Simon Smith’s amazing Catwoman on Stephanie
I really enjoyed this paint, its not my usual style as ‘hero’ paints are generally a bit too easy (bright and simple) to do at competitions. But, seeing LL onstage getting the audience going to Queen’s “We will Rock You” as Shelley read out my blurb was FAB. I think he quite liked it to!
Laurence with Gracie as painted by Jennie Marquis- she won 3rd place!
He had to shower and dash off to drive hours to be head stag, poor soul.
The theme this year was Sci-Fi and Fantasy so we had all sorts of interesting people stopping by – the Nor-Con Dr Who crew, Iron Man and the UK Predators. They did freak me out – and at 1 point I couldn’t work out what the red dot on my paintwork was – it was 1 of them teasing me with his laser sights!
The party that night was full of brilliant costumes- I was R2D2 as the Death Star idea I’d orignally done didn’t work without a baby bump to fill it. My fave was the Star tTek ‘Adopt a Tribble’agency – my wee boy still has the fluff ball, thanks!
Brill work by David Southworth
The next day was the Professor’s Apprentice competition where I had the lovely Daniel Formosa from Malta. He’d not really used brush & sponge to body paint before so was trying that out instead of airbrush.
He’d also made some really cool cones for the hair of the Poison Ivy and had some amazing nails done.
The stunning Leeanne (the blue Paintopia starry girl I painted before the 1st ever year) was our model and really lived the lush temptress look. The idea was that she was plant based like the Batman evil poisoner, with plant tubes giving off pheremones to attract men AND the (using real beetle wings) insects to her. She won the model of the year comp later on!
I did a not-quite-on-theme Freehand Glitter Tattoo so it wasn’t really in the comp but could be used to promo 2013’s ‘Vintage’ theme on Emily, who had been the gold Paintopia statue that 1st year.
A slightly circus ‘corset’ top was made with stripes of cosmetic adhesive and curly prosthetic breast covers.
We borrowed Liz Bylett’s lovely top hat and net bustle to complete the outfit. Emily’s brother James was modelling for Brierly with an amazing steampunky beetle glittered on his chest, and as the 2 used to dance, posed marvellously together.
Gorgeous stuff from Brierly as ever.
On Sunday I held a beginner’s body-paint workshop, kindly sponsored by Charles Fox who gave the class a lot of Kryolan Aquacolour paints to try out. We had Stephanie and another model to try and create 2 very fast Super Heroes on – Storm and Pheonix- which I later finished off.
