Finding our Soul Mates

I am always trying to educate my self in some way or another but unfortunately I have a terrible memory so most things I read are lost on me, no matter how interesting I find them I just can’t retain information. So when I began reading into greek mytholgy I would get really frustrated that I could not recount the stories that I found fascinating. I would often muddle two or three different myths into one. There was one that has stayed in my mind true though and that is from an ancient greek play write Aristophanes, who had a very interesting idea on the origin of humans and how we come to have soul mates, be it hetro or homosexual. Ultimately it’s a story about Love. I will try and recall it as briefly as I can.

In a speech in his play Symposium he spoke how in the beginning there were not two sexes but three, man, woman and the union of the two. This man was round forming a circle, with four arms and legs, one head with two faces looking in opposite ways, four ears and two sets of genitalia. They could walk backwards, forwards and all rolling over turning all four hands and feet. Being built like this made them very powerful and very fast and they decided to attack the Gods.

Obviously Zeus did not like this and rather than kill them he decided that he would let them continue to exist but half their power and strength by cutting them in two. This idea still enabled him to use the humans and have power over them. He cut them all in half with the help of Apollo who turned their faces round and pulled the skin from all sides to the centre like a ‘purse’ and tie it in a knot (what we call today a belly button). He healed all the scars except the navel as a reminder of our previous state.

After the separation the half humans ran around frantically looking for their other half and trying to join again. Even when they found their other half they were unable to join and they began to become sick with sorrow and starved themselves causing many to die. Zeus mindful of his need for humans and their worship decided to turn their genitals around to their belly side to enable humans to join their other half briefly.

So the humans who were two women before looked for their female other halves, those who had been two men, looked for other men and those who had been male and female searched for the opposite sex, so they could become whole again and rejoin with their soul mate.

Florence and the Machine- The Brits

Had the pleasure to work on Florence and the Machine performance at The Brits with key make-up artist Thomas De Kluyver. Hanging back stage we were surrounded by dancers doing the splits, high kicks and showing off their amazingly toned bods. Rhiannas dancers, about 40 guys and girls were practicing outside our make-up room all day too which made for alot of entertainment. Nothing like dancers showing off while your munching on a chocolate bar to make you feel bad about yourself  :-) It was alot of fun and a beautiful performance by Florence Welch.

London Fashion Week A/W12

I know its a little late, most bloggers go crazy after the shows, posting non stop. But I'm not a very dedicated blogger. This season was busy and alot of fun working on the On/Off event, Emilia Wickstead,  Ashley Isham, Maarten Van Der Horst and Kit Neal and fitting in between working on The Brit Awards with Florence and the Machine. Heres just a few backstage pics from some of the shows.

Ashley Isham with key make-up artist Thomas De Kluyver.

Maarten Van Der Horst with key Thomas De Kluyver

Emilia Wickstead with key Emma O'Byrne

Kit Neal

Shake It Out!

A music video i recently worked on with key make-up artist the lovely Thomas De Kluyver . The inspiration for the make-up was 20/30s silent movies and that could be seen throughout the clothes too which were style by the very talented Aldene Johnson. A slightly dark and satanic music video which made it very fun and interesting to work on.

Faraway!

I used to dream
Faraway dreams
Of faraway things, like you
I used to love
Faraway girls
From faraway worlds, like you

The further I go
The further I get
The further I reach
Aint nothing gonna touch me

I used to wait for faraway wave
From a faraway place, to take me

I used to write faraway notes
With faraway hopes
You'd find me

But the further I go
The furtehr I get
The further I reach
Aint nothing gonna touch me

I fit in the cracks in the pavement

And I think I see a star






I love this poem...cant remember who wrote it or where i read it but its been scrawled on a scrap of paper for a long time now.

Ozora

Ozora… Its an experience hard to describe with words and one that left a big impression on me. After coming back from South America with a broken pelvis...eeek…and spirits a little low, this place really lifted me. It is an experience that nobody can take away and it fills up your heart with energy. Ozora’s website describes is as ‘A playground where we learn to share and care, to express, connect, unify, beautify the world around us, in us.’ And I think that’s perfect. It’s sevens days of smiling. Everybody here, no matter who you are or what you look like at home, everybody looks beautiful. There are some crazy characters, colourful people and everyone fits in. Its such a friendly and loving atmosphere and everyone is there for the best possible reasons. Spirituality, creativity, music and dance.

The Main Stage

Just someones campsite...amazing!

The Chill Out Stage

Drinking water well

One of many chilled Chai Tea tents

A Lakota Woman

As a make-up artist I am always trying to find inspiration for my new ideas. I had recently borrowed a book from the library called Decorated Skin: A World Survey of Body Art and when sifting through its pages, analysing these beautiful painted bodies, an idea for a shoot jumped from its pages. I wanted to shoot a trible themed shoot. This would be difficult as it has been done so many times but I wanted to do something different and a more elaborate shoot than I had ever done before. When asking a friend of mine who is a props maker, if she would be interested in helping she jumped at the chance. Our mutual fascination with all things Native American (and my friends obsession with making a tepee) led us to focus this shoot on the nomadic tribes of Native America. I wanted this shoot to be more of an art project if you like, an editorial that tells a story and really engages you with its subject. A strong, proud and courageous  woman. Chloes ideas and set design really brought my small idea to life. Here are the result below.

Photographer: David Adams,  Concept and Make-up Artist: Francesca Brazzo,  Concept and Props: Chloe Rood,  Stylist: Melanie Tong,  Hair Stylist: Magdalena Tucholska,  Model: Marcella.

Cree Indian Prophecy

If only people would understand this, then disasters like mentioned below would not happen. 

Water and Oil

In Vogue Italia, August 2010 issue, was an editorial which caused much controversy with its depiction of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. When I first saw this fashion story I was blown away and 18 months later it is still one of my most inspiring shoots. Its incredibly powerful imagery has had much criticism, calling it insensitive and condemns it for glamourising such a tragic ecological and social disaster. Although I understand this point of view completely I do feel that this shoots intentions have been misunderstood.

Unfortunately we have become desensitised by the bombardment of images we see from not only this disaster, but many others too that sometimes to help raise awareness of such a important issue, something more visually shocking is needed. These disasters are often depicted through art and the photographer Steven Meisel uses his art the best way he knows how to do the same. Why cant a 'fashion' story be considered as art? 

This beautiful creature has been washed ashore, drenched, worn down and chocking on this oil filled water. But this isn’t of the creatures we have come accustomed to seeing soaked in oil on our screens and in our news papers. This is of a human, a woman, and a face that is well recognised to many of Vogues readers and shown in a style that they will find engaging. Not to everyones taste but you cannot deny how powerful these series of photographs are.

Open That Door!

A clever man once said....

THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

By the Dalai Lama

We have bigger houses but smaller families;

more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense;

more knowledge, but less judgement;

more experts, but more problems;

more medicines, but less healthiness.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.

We build more computers

to hold more information,

to produce more copies then ever,

but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity,

but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods,

but slow digestion;

Tall men but short character;

Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It’s a time when there is much in the window,

but nothing in the room.

I Heart Jesus

I find guys with scruffy long hair and unruly beards extremely sexy. Its something about that full mane of flowing locks and facial hair, that only a ‘real’ man can grow, that gets me all hot and bothered. My mother thinks I have a ‘jesus complex’ ha! I am waiting for my savour to come and show me the light. I even have a folder in my iphoto dedicated to these beautiful male specimens, so I thought I would share some with you.

The Big Burning Man

Last year I was blessed with beautiful lasting memories of the psychedelic magic dusty desert that was burning man. Its an experience you cant quite describe or anticipate. We were told stories of what it might be like, things to expect but it was nothing like I imagined and yet I would probably describe my experience in the same way. It’s a festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and for one week a small (well 50,000 people small) community is set up bringing art, sculpture, music and most importantly self expression. The community is completely self reliant and no money is exchanged at the festival. I will explain no more as I cant.

The wait.

Start of the bunny march.

The Bunnys vs The Carrots
Capture, Inoculate, Tag!

An 'Art' Car...just the norm in the desert.

The Man

My beautiful Eve...Lizzie!

The Temple

The Burning Man...aka Michael Jackson

And in total contrast to my pictures, a month after the festival French vogue had a feature on Burning Man although their pictures were, well….a hell of a lot more glamorous and cool. I hate that Burning Man has got so big to be featured in French vogue and I worry for its future when big publications are talking about it, I mean its so very special because of its following but if everyone starts to go because the fashion world says its cool who knows where it will go. Saying that it’s a secret best shared as it will make your smile a little wider and your heart a little bigger. The feature from French Vogue was beautiful none the less.