Body Art At Its Finest

I have been meaning to write this since the show Naked Vegas hit the mainstream channel SYFY, which aired October 29th, 2013 and the season made up of 6 hour long episodes. As a face and body painter myself and an avid watcher of Face Off, I was extremely excited to watch this new and exciting series. I always catch a glimpse of some body art on tattoo shows such as Ink Master, but to see a show solely dedicated to the art form of body painting, Naked Vegas is a show I can appreciate.

The cast/crew of Naked Vegas is inspirational to body painters everywhere. They are doing what most of us dream of, and I’m not just talking about being on tv, but running a legitimate business doing what they love.

Body painting has been around for a while, and there are even International Conventions and competitions. I am happy that body painting is becoming more popular and that this show is helping to showcase the endless possibilities when it comes to this form of body art.

Even though this show is based in Vegas, even smaller cities like here, in Virginia Beach, there is a demand for it. I have body painted for parties, businesses and hair shows and now more photographers and models are looking to have bodies painted. Halloween was the last time I body painted, but I am looking to up my game as soon as I get a studio space, which will be in the future.

It just amazes me how well these artists can create beautiful artwork on these human canvases. Check these out and tell me they’re not talented!

I can’t wait to see if they will be making a second season. I truly hope so because I really enjoy watching it and it motivates me to work on my body painting skills. I hope this has inspired you as well! Thanks for stopping by!

Productive Weekend

We are 5 days into 2014 and I feel so productive already. I am trying to make a personal goal to draw or paint something at least once a day, even if it’s a simple little doodle. I finished up that lighthouse drawing with shading so here it is in all its glory. haha

I used my new colored pencils that my friend gave me for Christmas! These are the Prismacolor Verithin, which is a different type of colored pencil, some artists say its harder for the colors to blend, and that they are mainly used to line instead of shade. I used a few of the regular pencils and the verithins, but overall I think it came out good. I used my wax sticks as well to help blend the colors.

I gave my hair a break and took out my extensions. Then using L’Oreal Hicolor Hilights in Magenta,(you can get it from Sallys) I colored my hair. This highlight series is bleach free! I have to do one more round or coloring, just because my hair was really BLACK. But I love how it came out.

I went to work a gig at the Grand Opening of Menchies Frozen Yogurt and got a chance to paint some sweet characters. Look how stinkin cute they are!!!

After my gigs, I got a chance to finally eat at The Cook Out, which is a yummy spot to get burgers, hotdogs, bbq, and shakes….and it’s super cheap!!! I had it both yesterday and today. If they open one up in Virginia Beach, I will be in trouble.

Last week, I got a chance to check out the new library at the TCC campus here in Virginia Beach. Man, am I impressed! I usually go to the central library here or any of the public libraries to use the wifi and soak up the energy, but usually there are never any decent places to sit, no plugs to charge electronics, the lighting sucks…I mean I could go on. Or I would go to a Panera’s or a starbucks and be the cliché artist sitting on my computer with my headphones sipping on a cinnamon dulce latte. hahaha But, alas, I have found a new zenful place of production. hahaha

The outside architecture is awesome. I love any buildings that have a silver industrial look to it.

There’s a starbucks café inside, which is nice!!!! It’s two stories and has so much open study space and little nooks everywhere. There is a separate childrens, young adult, reference sections. I love it! I managed to go for a bit before they closed. The downfall is that their hours are cut short if the semester is on break instead of staying open until 9pm.

I took a panoramic photo of the top floor so you can see these huge windows. There are outlets in the floors and comfy sofas everywhere. There is a computer lab that has huge booths so that a group of people can sit comfortably together.

 

As you can see above, I am a nerd for organizing everything, but when you run your own freelance business, you gotta stay on top of it. hahaha I got my new planner and went ahead and decorated it using some pages from my fav Bound By Ink Magazine!

My car was acting up today, so tomorrow will be an eventful day getting it inspected. Oh the joys of vehicle maintenance. hahaha But it is the mundane things that must be done. I am off to relax with the pup and watch movies. I hope you all had a great weekend and I’ll see ya in the next post!

 

Same ol’ me, just a new year!

Hello my loves! Happy New Year 2014! I am so happy to say goodbye to 2013 and move onto a new year! I took a break over Christmas and now that I am refreshed and recharged, I am back! I hope everyone had a good holiday with their family and friends, I know I did. I spent most of the “Christmas Break” at my mom’s house with the kiddos and the pup! Here’s a few pics.

I made out pretty good with some slippers, an electric blanket, and a Kuerig Coffee Maker, which I am stoked about….like I need more caffeine. hahaha The kids had fun and even Jacob got a nice BIG BONE, that he demolished in like a day. hahaha

New Years Eve was spent with good friends and my black eyed peas were eaten for good luck!

I have been painting, doodling and drawing and planning other special projects. Here is a bit of progress:

Above: A tray I painted. (front and back) Still deciding what to do with it.

Above: custom tattoo design for Createmytattoo.com

Above: See that lily drawing? I drew it! It is being published for this book! How exciting is that??? The publishers found it on my deviantart and contacted me a few months back, but it is finally going to print!

Below: a doodle or zentangle is what it is being called lately. I was having pretty bad artists block and cleared my mind but just letting the pen flow. Here is what I came up with.

Above: A new school type of tattoo design. This design is open if anyone would like it.

 

Oh, I almost forgot, one of the tattoos I designed for a client earlier this year finally got it tattooed and she sent it to me to share! How awesome is that? I love when clients are excited and get a design they love. It is a rush!

I am at the library right now, and its getting late. I am off to go get something to eat, Thanks for stopping by and see ya soon in the next post!

Counting down the days

Christmas is less than a week away! Can you believe it? This past week and last has been busy. I helped my mom out with getting her tree and decorating it. My mom’s style is very classic when it comes to the holidays. She loves the golds, reds and greens. Some of her ornaments are older than me. Lots of glass and ceramic ornaments and felt red bows. It’s relaxing to sit by her tree and have a fire going while we wrap presents. I took a quick photo while I was sipping on homemade hot chocolate.

One thing I love about the holidays is shopping. Even when I am not the one shopping, I love helping my family shop. I am one of those weirdos that actually like window shopping. Don’t judge me! While mom was trying on dresses, I practiced my skills in iphone photography. hahaha

Between shopping, running errands, time with the kiddos, I did some shopping on my own. I received a gift card early and decided to pick up a few things. I stopped by Jerry’s Art-O-Rama to pick up some paint and canvases. Then I looked at Ross to see if there were anything good. I have been searching for a pair of black boots that I could wear everyday or at least as much as I wear my brown ones at a decent price. I finally found a pair of black studded boots I love! I also found some fleece lined leggings and a winter sweater I can wear at Christmas Eve at my moms.

I wanted to make a video of what I got, but now that I am sharing a house with 2 other roommates, I just don’t have the privacy I used to when I want to film something. hahahah oh oneday, I will have my studio to have the space to do the artistic things I need to do.

Oh, and I almost forgot to share. My artwork is being used in a book! That will be in the next post! Im super excited to share it with you all! Stay tuned!

Xoxox, Cecilia

Les Chiq Amandes Artisanal Confections and Gifts

Who doesn’t love chocolate and candy? I know I do! I received some yummy samples from Les Cinq Amandes, an Artisanal Confections and Gifts Company based in Stamford, CT! You can click on the pictures or the link to go to their website http://the5almonds.com/

Their Website is named the5almonds after the long standing tradition of good luck that the number 5 was how many confections was given to a guest. The 5 also stands for the number of wishes: Happiness, Health, Peace, Love and Longevity. These gifts are traditional for special events such as weddings, anniversaries, and parties.

These luxurious candies are perfect for any occasion like birthdays, baby showers, reunions, or anyone with a sweet tooth like me!

I was sent some candy coated chocolates, like the picture below and I have to say they are rich in flavor, addicting and left me wanting more! They were a perfect addition to my coffee break!

What make Les Chiq Amandes so different is that they use the finest ingredients to create special hand made chocolate and candy. They offer many collections and their designer chocolates are hand painted for that extra touch of class.

Not only do they have chocolate and candy, but they carry a variety of collections that have fruit, nuts, caramel, and even tiramisu!

Here is the best part, Les Chiq Amandes gave all my readers a 10% discount code to use at check out!

Here is the code!  HOLIDAY10

If you don’t like any of their collections or gift sets, you do have the chance to create your very own gift set, customized to your liking! I will definitely be ordering some chocolate gifts for Valentines Day coming up! Make sure to check them out!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxoxox, Cecilia

 

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