Girls of the Gunrunner 2013 Calendar

Better late than never! In case you haven't heard, there was an epic calendar project that I was a part of— now known as Girls of The Gunrunner: The Revolution is On.

I was not able to make it back out to Ohio for the release party but, from what I hear, it was pretty darn well received. Images are being shared far and wide across the social media universe! As a group, I believe we have put together something much greater than ourselves, and that's boss.

Some of the ghost images are my favorite. The crew did an awesome job. Each image has really been brought to life. The girls look like comic book heroes (or maybe super villains, either way) and you want to give them a backstory of equal measure.

Working through piles of concept sketches, I took a lot of inspiration from Mad Max, Frank Miller, Lara Croft, and Transformers. An extra special thank you to Mr Dagger Photo for putting together these composites of the final concept art and finished pieces.

Shout outs to the amazing models (in order of appearance in this blog post): Courtney F, NK, JNL, and Stephanie Ferrari.
Makeup Artists, we couldn't have done it without you! Karen Siat and Sue Prosser.


                                             

I love the writeup from the website!

"All new photographers, new models, exploding scenes of our girls fighting apocalyptic zombies with the finest of Gunrunner auto weapons- this is one helluva effort. All models were nude and then body painted by a national caliber artist- this calendar is TO DIE FOR! Sublime in all ways! If you wish to purchase a calendar call Jennifer at (440) 834-0160 Cost is $10 each and $4.95 for shipping. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!"- GunrunnerAuctions.com

Want more?

To see the entire Calendar spread, visit MrDaggerPhoto's Blog here.
It's a larger file, if you're on a mobile device or concerned about load time, this may be a better way to view

Time to get back to the drawing table for next year's calendar ;)

You're going to love it!

5 Things I Learned About Life Casting

This is what happens when you Alginate Fail. Bucket Moulds.

5 Things I learned about Life Casting in the first 15 minutes (that I wish someone had warned me about, first).

1. Full Contact

I didn't realize how much of a full contact sport this was going to be until I watched the how-to DVD that I bought WITH the supplies. The Alginate cannot be allowed to thin or retain air bubbles in areas with a lot of detail. Which leads me to wonder exactly what is going on with some of the more intimate life castings! Oi!

2. Science

Measure out components by weight, not volume. There are several fails backing this lesson. How hard can just add water be? Trolololol

3. Power Tools and/or Extra Hands

These mixtures are time sensitive and the more efficiently we can mix them, the better.
Especially being a beginner, you will need extra time to mix and move things about. I also recommend that you not lift large bags of Gypsum Cement on your own.

4. Model Comfort

This is a two parter. Obviously the subject will be required to hold a pose for an extended period of time and should be made comfortable. Pillows, cushions, things to lean on, etc. Second, the plaster bandages can dry the skin and become really irritating. Moisturize the skin that will come in contact with plaster bandages in advance.

5. Be prepared to Fail hard.

Fail Harder is my motto.

You deserve an explanation. My experiment log can be found *Here*. I swear on all that is holy that my model's breasts were not originally misshapen, lumpy, or cockeyed.

Bonus Tip: If you don't have a canvas drop cloth... splurge.

Home and Thank You

I'm glad to be home and just in the nick of time, another storm bears down on us today. Knowing that most questionable trees on the property were brought down by the "super derecho" in late June, I feel free to keep on working. Little miss Sandy drew out my visit to Buffalo, NY for a second full week, leaving me with plenty to catch up on. Mr Dagger would never let me get away with being so close to Ohio and not making a visit. You have him to thank fo this lovely capture. *More pics here*
There are many more images to come, as you might expect.

And somethings totally unexpected...

The falls followed me home! This sweet surprise made its way into my mail pile while I was gone, I have no idea how long it sat there. I'm so going to frame splurge.

Thank You(s)

One thing I can say is that there is still kindness in strangers. Anyone who saw my tags, my license, or otherwise heard where I was from immediately asked about my home and family. Always following it up with well wishes for the drive home.

Thank You random strangers, Thank You anonymous print gifter, Thank You to all the awesome people I work with, and extra special Thank You to the people who put me up and look after me when I'm out and about. Even with all the rain and all the car trouble it always seems worth it. 

I'm feeling very wore out but I've got too much stuff to monkey with. Henna needs to happen soon and I have yet to produce a  life cast. *My adventure of learning life casting is being blogged over here.*

Until next week, much love.

What Moms Should Know About Face Painting

6. It washes off. 

At the end of the day, all makeup removes easily with soap and water. Warm water is best to open up the pores. Sometimes, face paint washes off before the end of the day. Like at a pool party, for example. These are things for the planner to consider. ;)

5. It rubs off. 

Is your party held indoors with tons of white furniture or white carpets? Those kids will find a way…

4. What to do if your child has an allergic reaction. 

Terminate exposure immediately by removing as much of the paint ASAP with JUST water. That’s the “official” advice.

If it were my own face, I would use a mild cleanser like Cetaphil. Personally, I have a lot of makeup allergies. Certain drug store brands hate my face. So, I know how it feels. My reactions can be the worst in the under-eye area and across the bridge of my nose. Usually quick removal of the product is instant relief. If burning persists, a splash of good ol’ milk usually does the trick.

For a person with relatively sensitive skin, I have not had any issues with the face and body makeup that I use. That is why I feel comfortable applying it to people of all ages and recommending those brands to other painters.

3. The difference between craft paint and makeup. 

If the paint in use is coming from tubes that you’ve seen at the craft store, feel prompted to ask what kind of paint the artist is using. The most commonly misused craft paints that I’ve seen are acrylic and tempera. These products do not belong on anyone’s face! Neither do Sharpie markers.

2. The risks of using craft paint or craft glitter on your child’s face. 

Craft paints can cause allergic reactions, rashes, or even swelling. Craft glitter can irritate the skin, itch, and if in the eyes can scratch the cornea.

1. Why good face painters charge.

In my area, the going rate for a face painter is between $75-$150 per hour. Keep in mind, this is the East Coast.  Why do these artists charge so much? Chances are, they are small business owners. Thereby making them full time bosses, and maybe even full-time mommies too.

I think the misconception is that face painting is akin to running lemonade stands, raking leaves, and mowing lawns. You know, just a small job for neighborhood kids to learn the values of hard work while making a little spending cash. The reality is Professional Body Art Services, Mobile Food Vendors, and Professional Landscaping. Those kids grew up.

In an Effort to End My Hiatus

The last six months have not come without their ups and downs, maybe with more emphasis on the downs. I really thought that no one read this thing but it appears the blog has been getting more traffic than ever. To see it hold up, all alone here, has renewed my desire to keep at it. Thank you to everyone who has found this information interesting, helpful, or just straight up amusing.

I've got a brand new camera to document all of my body art adventures. Which leads me to my next exciting new medium...

A year ago I said I wanted to begin life casting so that I could offer permanent works of body art. Well, the last of the life casting supplies arrived this week and I'm ready to dive in, head first. Pictures will surely be on the way.

It's also nice to have a way to record my makeup experiments too. I've fallen in love with my little PowerShot. I just have to remember to restrict my makeup creativity to the daylight hours. Otherwise, I'm going to have a ton of photos like this. Apparently all makeup looks like bruises in the lamp light.

Until Next Time. Much Love.

They're Calling it a Super Derecho

This week's post, "What Mom's Should Know about Face Painting," has been interrupted to bring you the following message.

(And Yes, I know its Tuesday)

I am based in southern New jersey, in the heart of the destruction and power outages caused by Saturday's storm. It will still be quite some time before my family has power again. Until then, I have a whole new set of priorities. Food, water, gas and chainsaw blades.

Please excuse my internet absence. Have a safe 4th of July.

Looking Forward 6.18.12

I returned home early last week, having seen many things and made many new friends. I got to play the Big Bang Theory party game with Wil Wheaton at Origins- which will forever live among my growing list of “No shit, there I was…” stories. For the first time, I taught to total strangers. It went pretty ok and I now have a bit of experience to go off of while I’m restructuring my classes.

To my darling, patient, understanding students: If you were unable to get a copy of my class handouts, the free PDF is available under “INFO” on my website. Can’t miss it. If you did, message me.

As much as I’d like to dwell on my recent adventures, I find myself looking forward.

I try to keep a routine that keeps my sanity while I’m home. Every Wednesday a fresh issue of The Reminder is released. I hunt for leads to a gig or breakthrough. Then, I’m here looking for something to tell you about. I knock out my daily networking chore list (that’s the part where the internet sucks my soul out through my skull).

But I got home and this didn’t happen. The routine didn’t switch back on. I have a lot on my mind, besides the huge paint order I just put in. If something isn’t working out, we get rid of it. But I can’t fire myself. I want to go back to the physical drawing table and rework this whole thing because the ol’ “keep throwing shit at the wall til something sticks” hasn’t been serving me to well.

Two books have shifted my mind from the business aspects that I’ve focused on in the last few months, back to the fundamental inspiration that started this whole adventure.

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Best. Book. Ever. (for creatives). I read a snippet of this book a while ago and then happened upon it in my friend’s bathroom, of all places. This is not a bathroom book, this is a coffee table book or you will be taking the longest pees everrrr.

I ended up reading it twice. I couldn’t wait to get home and really put into motion some of the tips that I picked up.

Attract and Feed a Hungry Crowd: How Thinking Like a Chef can help you build a solid business. By Tea Del Alma Sivestre

Yes, it’s a business book but… this one really got me thinking (like, can’t find a paper and pen fast enough thinking). I’ve read the Who, What, When, and How of business, this one turned me onto “Why?” Then Tea had me redefining the “who” and the “what.”

And finally,

Get acquainted with Chase Jarvis LIVE. His show is art brain food and he practices lives out loud that which I preach. We have to cross train our brains. I can’t imagine much growth if a photographer were to limit himself to the company of other photographers. Likewise, no body painter would get very far if they decided to learn only from other face and body painters.

Point: Any artist can learn epic shit from this Cello player.

I know it’s a stretch but try it out and come back next Monday.