Meeting Great Minds - Mac 30 Year Anniversary

When people ask me what my favorite type of makeup is that I do as a makeup artist, my answer is always the same. It's not the makeup that is my favorite part of being a makeup artist. It's the experiences that makeup artistry has brought to my life, and the people I have met because I am a makeup artist. I have met extraordinary people in my life that I would have never met if it weren't for becoming a makeup artist.

Sometimes the makeup I do is absolutely minimal, not creative, and down right boring, but the job is fantastic. I can say that for one of my most recent jobs, the Mac 30 year anniversary campaign that was just released today.

I did makeup on 4 amazing people, all men who used Mac for their creative inventions. Craig Hickman created Kid Pix in 1990, which my daughter still uses now in school. She was excited to find out that I met him. David Carson, art director of Ray Gun magazine, one of the first magazines my work appeared in, invented new ways of using fonts in graphic design, and Robyn and Rand Miller created Myst, the first role-playing adventure video game, which used to sit on my shelf. So even though my job didn't consist of much more than keeping the shine off their faces, the experience of meeting people whose names have been sitting on my shelf or making their appearance in my daughter's school, was even better than lipstick. I didn't mind being put up in a nice hotel, flown to locations, and served fancy meals either!

http://www.apple.com/30-years/

www.celenarubin.com

She's not drunk, I swear!

It was tv/film character makeup day at Art of Makeup. The goal was to use makeup to create a character, rather than focus on the beauty of the makeup itself as we do in fashion. Everyone came to class with a story line behind their would be character creations. We started class telling our stories.

In short, mine was a southern girl, from South Carolina to be precise, and she was mean. She was the mean girl in school that gave us artist types a hard time. She was popular and a cheerleader and she had been tormenting this poor, sweet girl for a long time. Well, the poor girl got

even and decked her. That was my character creation.  I created a nice bruise on her cheek and a split lip.

Now a student of mine, by coincidence, created another character that also came from the south. This girl was a party animal. She wore too much makeup and drank way too much. They could have been the same girl actually if you pressed forward on my character.

Then the weird thing happened. The model/actress showed up. That would be Karmen Spiller. "Hiii, I'm the model todaaay. My naaame is Karmen."

The students and I looked at each other. Was this a joke? She had the strongest southern accent I had ever heard! "Where are you from I asked?"

"South Carolina," she answered. What? We stared. OK. Stranger things have happened.

Having already made up my mean girl on Samantha, Karmen sat in Lena's chair waiting to get "drunk." The makeup was perfect, and what we didn't expect was the immaculate acting talent from this southern belle. Amazing! We were in hysterics! Every single expression was different and equally perfect for a drunk girl.
What a coincidence!
www.facebook.com/KarmenLspiller
 www.artofmakeup.com

From Makeup to Movie Star! Makeup Artists Who Get Discovered!

I am not the first makeup artist who started out acting or played in a band. And I hardly think I’m the only makeup artist who has fantasized about getting discovered on a set and pulled into a scene by the director who thought I had the just the look he or she needed.

When I was still single, it always stuck in the back of my mind that Rob Lowe married his makeup artist. I thought for sure that whenever I were to get the opportunity to do Robert Downey Jr.’s makeup, he would be sure to marry me too. Well, I finally did get to do his makeup and he didn’t marry me. I was too intimidated to even give him my card…and I had just gotten engaged to someone else! Bad timing, (no offense, Hubby).

But these things can actually happen to makeup artists working on film and television sets. I actually was discovered once! Okay, it was over a decade ago, but that’s how long it took to finish the film. I was doing makeup on a feature when the director grabbed me and told me I had the perfect 1920’s look for his film. He stuck me in two very prominent scenes with a very prominent celebrity, Debi Mazar. Ironically, Debi Mazar started out as a makeup artist before she made it as an actress! I wonder if she got discovered...

I’ve been waiting forever for the movie to come out, and the premier is Sunday August 11^th in Los Angeles…and I’m in Portland.  For most of you reading this, that’s today! Ah! Bad timing again!

Return to Babylon: LA Weekly Party Pick of the Week

Watch The Digits!

About a year ago I started working with The Digits, an online educational web series that teaches elementary and middle school age kids math. The creator, Scotty Iseri came from a theater background, and brought a very theatrical feel to the series. The makeup has been really fun and creative, and the costumes, set, characters and writing are fantastic and colorful.

Yesterday the Galaxy Twins, Chad and Becky, were being shot. It was a super busy day with 9 makeup changes! Chad had to look like he was crying, so I had to create blue snot under his nose, puffy red eyes, and running mascara streaks down his face. Glycerin worked great! Both Chad and Becky had to look like rock stars for their music video, so I gave Chad a question mark on his face and Becky a star. And when Chad exploded on Becky, who knew corn starch would be the perfect ingredient! It was super fun. Here are some pictures.  Watch- www.watchthedigits.com

 

Alternative inspiration: The Oregon Country Fair

Now here's body makeup inspiration: The Oregon Country Fair...and no deodorant required! Or so many seem to think. Or maybe it's the patchouli. No offense, just not my smell. Not to put down the Country Fair. I actually loved it! It was super creative and fantastic for people watching. The aerial acrobatic circus performances were not to be missed!

Now the Country Fair is advertised as a family attraction, but what they should say is, it's for families who are comfortable with their children around bare butt men in loin cloths, and bare breasted women, only some covered in paint. Now that would be a more honest representation for the families. I brought my seven year old daughter, and lucky for me, or not lucky for me, I was brought up in a hippy nudie environment and could handle having my child in this environment. I don't exactly think it's a family attraction though! Although on the way home when I was doubting whether I'd take her again, I asked her if she wanted to go and she didn't hesitate to answer, "Yes!"

So, after scrubbing away the dirt, and there was a lot of it, I ponder over my day and sit here and decide...next time I need to wear way more glitter!

I fought the law...and I won! Makeup Artistry Bill Passed

Senator Burdick and I

I am proud to be a working makeup artist in Oregon. Before yesterday, I wasn't allowed to charge for  makeup services in Oregon without an esthetician license, a license that requires the skills of someone who works in a salon, waxing and doing facials. We all love these services, but that is none of my business. I am a makeup artist and have been most of my life. I had my first professional makeup artistry training about 26 years ago, and since then I have applied makeup for plays, tv shows, movies, runway shows, commercials, music videos, magazines, you name it, and never once have I been asked if I had an esthetic license. It is an unrelated field to the trade of professional makeup artistry.  We are the sculptors of light, highlighting and contouring our subjects to create illusion, characters and/or beauty.

Representative Williamson and I

When I moved to Oregon 22 months ago, I was looking for a better quality of life for my family and to raise my then five year old child. I chose Portland because of the booming film industry and advertising industries, a place that I could continue to make a living as a makeup artist. Two months ago I was informed that I could not. I was told that I had to spend thousands of dollars to acquire an esthetic license if I wanted to work in Oregon as a makeup artist. Did I run to beauty school? No! I ran to the State Capitol.

House of Representatives Floor

How to change the law:
1) Call your legislator and make an appointment to see them
2) Tell them your idea
3) If they approve it they will draft it into a bill
4) There will be 2 Senate Readings and one Senate Hearing which you will testify. If it passes then step 5
5) There will be 2 House of Representative Readings and one House Hearing which you will testify again. If it passes then step 6
6) Governor signs the bill

Here is another example: How an Idea Becomes Law

This is how this bill happened. My first meeting with my district Senator was on March 8, 2013.  I assembled a support team who wrote letters, called, and testified. Each reading and hearing was passed unanimously by every single person in attendance in the Senate and House. There were 27 Senate members and 57 House members in attendance. There were no work sessions. Senate Bill 836 passed on May 13, 2013, just two months after my first meeting. It is on the way to the Governor's desk to be signed, and because it is declared an emergency, it will implemented into law immediately. The legislatures told me they have never seen a bill pass so smoothly and quickly, and they deal with thousands of bills each year. As my now seven year old would say, "That's cool!"

I was not expecting to be a crusader or lobbyist when I moved to Oregon. I simply wanted to make a living doing what I know best, makeup. Now I can. So can a lot of other people in Oregon. Not only does this help the whole community of makeup artists in Oregon, but this industry is all tied together, so if the makeup artists can work, so can everyone else on the shoots.  Community. That is what I found when I ventured into changing legislation. I received support from my industry leaders and my legislative community and it was the team effort that made the change!

Representative Williamson Testimony

 PRESS RELEASE 

REP. JENNIFER WILLIAMSON 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 36 

For Immediate Release 

May 14, 2013 

 Oregon House votes to ease burden on hair and makeup artists 

Rep. Williamson sponsored bill to help Oregon entrepreneurs succeed in Oregon’s growing entertainment industries 

SALEM – Yesterday the Oregon House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to ease regulations on hair and makeup artists, a critical professional niche in Oregon’s growing television and film production industries. 

Oregon law currently requires all hair and makeup artists to go through extensive training and obtain a license if they receive payment for their services. But for specialized hair and makeup artists working on TV or movie sets, the required training is an irrelevant and expensive burden. 

Senate Bill 836 would exempt hair and makeup artists working in film, television, or theater production from unnecessary and unrelated licensing requirements, thereby helping Oregon remain competitive in these prospering industries. 

Representative Jennifer Williamson (D – Portland) became a chief sponsor of Senate Bill 836 after hearing from a constituent who had immediate concerns regarding her and fellow artists’ ability to operate in their present positions without first obtaining a cosmetology license. 

“Today is a win for entrepreneurs and the entertainment industry here in Oregon,” Representative Williamson said. “We want to keep attracting production companies that provide Oregonians with exciting opportunities and jobs they rely on. This bill removes a burden from Oregonians who are working hard to earn a living in increasingly competitive, creative industries.” 

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Seattle, Doughnuts and the Challenges of Makeup!

I'm home! I just want to express the number one challenge of working on a set are all those dang doughnuts that keep showing up! Here I am working on a Clarisonic commercial while deep fried pimple inducing doughnuts are being served. So I indulged. Now I have pimples. I must use the Clarisonic now.

The missing sprinkle half was consumed by me.

So my next challenge (actually it was my first challenge, but I felt compelled to mention the doughnuts first) was the makeup room. The walls were painted a sort of aqua blue, which would have bounced right on to the model's face while I was applying makeup. Fortunately, the DP brought a white bounce board to block the wall so I could have proper lighting. Why don't these studios ever consult with makeup artists when they create the makeup rooms?

Not conducive to great skin tone matching

So you won't believe this one. The model's spray tan cracked all over her torso. She mentioned this after they decided to use her for a body shot. It looked like she was covered in stretch marks and I had to cover it. I looked in my kit, and I just didn't have spray tan orange in my foundation palettes.

 In fact, I had nothing that orange. What to do? I grabbed my Ben Nye cream color wheel with the very bright orange, mixed it into foundation, and it was the perfect match. Whatever works!