AU Magazine Issue 3

LETTER FROM THE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dear Artists Unknown,
In my many travels toggling between New York and Boston, I always plug in my earphones and
stare at the passing streetlights as the bus half speeds half bounces down the highway. Out the
window, the lamps were like flower buds in the form of cascading spotlights. They shook with the
movement of the vehicle, each bulb of light a smaller and more opaque reflection of the one above
it. I began to wonder if it was my astigmatism (terrible eyesight) that was making me see these extra
lights. If I took a photo, would the print look the same as what my eyes were picking up? Will
someone else see the same thing I was seeing?
This issue of Artists Unknown, we have collated our biggest issue yet, just in time for the Christmas
season! We brought more diversity, sassy but fabulous artists, and an overload of ideas. I had the
pleasure of reading through this issue’s unique stories and understanding the process behind each
submission. A commonality I feel with the featured artists is being able to use a limited amount of
resources to make something awesome. The creation of illusions with the help of color, appliqués
and strategic photography has added an extra coat of exquisiteness on many of the editorials found
here. With that being said, please enjoy our third issue!
Do what you love,
CindyChen
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
www.artistsunknownmag.com/submit
GENERAL INFORMATION
artistsunknownmag@gmail.com

CONTENTS
4
10
12
16
22
26
30
38
56
62
64
70
75
76
81
85
93
98
104
44
52
83
90
95
97
ARTISTS
ELIZABETH PETROU................
SHELBIE BARRON..................
ELLIE COSTELLO......................
ERIKA MARIE NI BHRIRAIN...
KRYSTAL HUANG....................
PARI ALEXANDER....................
RYAN FAHERTY........................
RYAN KELLY.............................
KELSEY WEBER.......................
SHAUNA SHANKS.................
SUSANN GRASSOW..............
NICOLE BARNETT....................
MADELEINE HARIRIAN..........
ZOE BUTTERWORTH...............
ACHRAF BAZNANI..................
VIVAN WONG.........................
MARIA GRAZIA........................
KYNE SANTOS........................
TIMOTHY PAKRON..................
EDITORIAL
THE SONG OF AVARICE
OPINIONS
7 DEADLY SINS
FREELANCING: IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE
MEMORIES IN JEWELED ARMOR
STAY WARM (IN STYLE) THIS WINTER
IT’S JUST PLAIN RACISM
ATHENS, GREECE
TEXAS, UNITED STATES
UNITED KINGDOM
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
UTAH, UNITED STATES
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
INDIANA, UNITED STATES
BERLIN, GERMANY
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
SWEDEN
NORTH WALES, UNITED KINGDOM
MARRAKESH, MOROCCO
HONG KONG
ITALY
PHILIPPINES
MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES

ELIZABETH PETROU

5

FEATURED
ELIZABETH PETROU MAKES IT HER PREROGATIVE TO
TRANSFORM THE HUMAN BODY INTO A CANVAS,
GIVING “BODY OF WORK” A WHOLE NEW MEANING.
LAST YEAR SHE STAGED BODY PAINTING
exhibits in galleries, with each installment exposing another taxing
social issue. In the first, she touched on the economic
crisis of Greece. Using inspirations to influence her ideas
and opinions, she turned two people into statues, which
bore strong historical references to Greek history. She
painted them into bleeding figurines, mourning for the difficult
conditions that humans had to live with in each
passing day. This is Elisabeth Petrou, a professional makeup
artist of almost three years from Greece, who in the past
year and a half has branched into the field of body paint.
As a child, her passion and interest in experimenting with colors and
painting materials led her to eventually choose a profession that used
her creativity.
“I love make up artistry because I can express my ideas and
inspirations on the human body. I am drawn to the human body
as a canvas for my art because each body has a unique shape.
With my art I can demystify the human body and allow it to be
re-visualized. Because of this, I prefer to paint on a real canvas—the
naked human body. This is the perfect way for me to communicate my
art to the crowd and allow them to see a simple body in a new way.”
Her inspirations are centered on controversial topics in
society such as economic crisis, poverty, violence, homosexuality,
environmental waste, and use of technology. Another exhibit called
L’objectos personas featured her transforming two people into
furniture pieces and placing them in a living room. The man was
painted into a table lamp and the woman, a table. For this piece she
hoped to symbolize how dependent humans are on the material world.
6

FEATURED
“WE HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO
C O M M U N I C A T E
WITH EACH OTHER.”
Petrou attended a cosmetology school, but taught
herself the basics that define her own style of
makeup. She notes that in Greece, there aren’t
as many opportunities to learn different types
of makeup as in special effects education, so in
order to learn these things, she banked on her own
research, readings and travels. At the moment
she is studying the history of modern art and is
inspired by iconic artists of the 20th century.
However, the ones she respects the most and
feels the weight of influence from are Kandinsky,
Gleizes and Pollock. Currently, she is busy
organizing another exhibit called Terra, where
she will turn a woman into a tree to stimulate
conversations about the impacts of environmental
waste. Not surprisingly, her muses for this project were
the symbols found in Greek mythology. She seeks to
combine the art of makeup and body paint with other
mediums of art such as sculpture, traditional paint,
performance art and more. Petrou plans on
experimenting with different materials on the human
body in order to create unique images and characters.
As she continues to evolve, the most important message
she can share with us is to truly love the profession
you choose. “Believe in yourself and in your skills,” She
says. “Try to improve them and you will succeed in your
dreams.”
8

FEATURED
“THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE
PRESENTED THEMSELVES TO ME
THROUGH A SIMPLE APPLICATION SUCH
AS INSTAGRAM ARE SUCH A BLESSING.”
ShelbieBarron
SHELBIE BARRON, ONLY A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL FROM A SMALL
TOWN IN TEXAS CALLED LIBERTY HILL, BEGAN CREATING CHARACTER
MAKEUP LOOKS FOR HER INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. WITHIN MONTHS,
HER PROFILE BLEW UP TO 18.9K AND COUNTING.
10

“ONE OF MY BIGGEST INFLUENCES IN PURSUING
MAKEUP WAS MY MOTHER.”
Her mother had taken cosmetology in high school
and had a particular talent for makeovers, which she
practiced copiously on her twin daughters. Since then,
she had a knack for playing with makeup as much as
she could get her hands on it. In the end, her mother
decided not to pursue a career in the field of
cosmetics, and Barron in turn considered makeup art
as simply a hobby. But as she grew up, the hobby had
transcended into more of an aspiration. With her
abundant Insta following, this dream grew more
and more feasible. Even with this popularity, she
hasn’t even begun formal training, but plans on
taking classes shortly after she graduates in the
upcoming year. She currently is working hard on
winning a $5000 scholarship to a cosmetology
school near her home. Barron is more than ready to
jump on the road to her goal of providing makeup
services for celebrities and models, for the chaotic and
seemingly glamorous life of magazines and fashion shows.
Following in the footsteps of one of her makeup idols,
Mykie, better known by her Youtube name as “Glam
and Gore,” she is well on her way to successfully
pursuing the path that her mother had chosen to avert.
“I am beyond excited to see where this takes me and what
my future holds.”
11

ELLIE COSTELLO
E
LLIE COSTELLO NEVER PLANS her creations beforehand.
She didn’t have any training and relies on the sudden pop of
an image in her head of something she itched to make into
reality. Her process is very go-with-the-flow and she finds an
element of surprise in outcome at the end. Sometimes her looks can
go wrong, because this method paves way for a greater room for
error, but she notes that it is all part of the creative process.
“Sometimes the mistakes turn into something captivating. I
like to surprise myself and do something unexpected. I think
that is how creative and individual pieces of art are made.”
Costello may mindlessly scroll through Instagram, browse through
other artists’ work and be extremely inspired by something she sees.
She gets a similar reaction by even the smallest bits of life, sometimes
a pattern on a scarf or even a cushion. But it is the work of
other people that motivates her to challenge herself and get her creative
juices a-flowing. Often times she is jolted by an idea out of her
seat, so transient and intense that she has to quickly jot it down before
her memory drops it in the abysmal unconscious trash bin.
“If it weren’t for my notes on my iPhone, I would forget a LOT,” She
laughs lightheartedly.
Costello names Alex Box as her idols. Her biggest
aspirations is to be as creatively experimental and good as Alex
Box. “I think Alex’s work is just beyond incredible. All of her
pieces are so full of color, which is my biggest love when it comes to
creating make-up... using lots and lots of bright colors.” She adds,
“I always let everyone know about my love for color on Instagram.”
Alex Box is known for her abstract artwork, both in
technique and meaning. There is mystery to her work, which
is what Costello adores most—the fact that people can have
completely different interpretations of her art. To reach that point
of professionalism, she wants to one day complete a course in
Theatrical Makeup/Face & Body Painting. Until then, she is
just a self-taught artist who gained her skills like most people,
watching makeup tutorials left and right on Youtube and
following step-by-step, or imitating looks she found on social media.
12

“When I look at my work now compared to a year ago, or even five
months ago, I see a huge improvement. Your skill and talent is constantly
developing and growing.”
In five years time, she would love to have a Bachelor’s
degree, and be moving into the world of theater doing
makeup backstage for popular shows and musicals. She always
aims high, with shows as widely renowned as The Lion King or
Wicked, but to start it off, she admits it would be nice to have
a collection of work on smaller-scale theatrical productions.
In addition, Costello hopes to one day be honored a personal
column in a magazine, which would allow her to create a different
look each week. It would be extremely rewarding, as she is
on a constant lookout for collaborations with other talented artists
on Instagram, where she is a prevalent presence. Soon enough,
she will be holding a Christmas Collaboration as well on IG.
To makeup artists who share a similar background as her,
she offers a positive message to never lose your own style and
originality. “The whole reason of art is to create
something fresh and to think outside the box, so
never doubt an idea... always try something out
because you never know how beautiful the
outcome might be. And as a lot of artists say, practice makes perfect.
The more you create looks and try new techniques the
better you become, you are your own teacher, so if you put the work
in, you get a good reward out of it: seeing yourself grow as a artist.”
“I ALWAYS LET EVERYONE
KNOW ABOUT MY LOVE FOR
COLOR ON INSTAGRAM.”
13

FEATURED
“ALWAYS TRY SOMETHING OUT BECAUSE YOU
NEVER KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE.”
14

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

ERIKA M
NI BHR

ARIE
IRAIN

H
AVING ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST and tendency to
experiment with art, Erika Marie was for a while searching for her
niche, the medium that would speak to her. Her artistic journey
really started to develop with being accepted to
Limerick School of Art and Design. There she studied fashion
design, which in turn lead to fantastic opportunities such as being
invited to Paris Fashion Week to work for a designer. While
there, she was witness to runway makeup by Val Garland, an
experience that opened her eyes to the idea of makeup being a career.
Growing up in Kilkenny, Ireland, a major inspiration to
Erika has been Alex Box. According to her, she would fall in love with
images, and those would always turn out to have been done by the same
person, Alex Box. In her final year of school, Erika began working for a
cosmetics brand which gave her the chance to learn about the medium, and
then to express herself with it, ultimately giving way to and obsession that she
realized to be her desired career path with which she could have a lot of fun.
Erika embodies a sense of spontaneity and embraces the
unknown. In her own art she trusts her impulses and instincts
rather than attempting some premeditated vision. She admits that
sometimes when starting a project she does not have an idea or even
know what direction she will go. Erika, like many other artists, has
become very familiar with and endorses the concept of “happy
accidents”. That is to say often the best creations can be credited to
unconscious happenings or even mistakes rather being the result of
intention. In describing her own “Human Portrait”, a piece inspired
partly by impressionism and partly a friend’s painting, Erika says,
“I didn’t want to overthink my placement so I did this quite quickly and just
kept applying product until I was happy with the overall look. I think this is
why I am so happy with this piece as I didn’t hold myself back and just really
had fun in the process and trusted myself to stop when it was still quite raw.”
Though Erika was not formally trained, her own process of
trial and error has bestowed on her not only considerable skill in
her medium but something that some artists never find. She has
come to posses a precious mindset in that she embraces her own
tribulations, realizing that she can learn from each piece she does.
It is also refreshing to have an artist that values herself and is
simultaneously able to express and willing to connect with
others through her art. She has made herself a success story and with an
attitude that we could all afford to share, one she concisely declares
in saying “Do what feels right and trust yourself because at the end of
the day, art is personal and it should come from the heart”. She is now
living in Edinburgh, Scotland, working in makeup artistry full time.
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FEATURED
“I DIDN’T HOLD MYSELF BACK AND JUST
REALLY HAD FUN IN THE PROCESS
AND TRUSTED MYSELF TO STOP WHEN
IT WAS STILL QUITE RAW.”

KRYSTAL

HUANG

FEATURED
EVERY PERSON—NEVER MIND—every photographer
has heard the saying that a picture speaks a
thousand words. Some might think the statement cliché but
Krystal Huang makes it her mission to confirm that statement by
filling her images with personal emotions and messages that
more than suffice a simple word count. She understands that with
the medium of photography, she has the means of showing things
that cannot be seen by the naked eye. That impossible frame of
reality can invoke imagination, something she knows first-hand
from being inspired by other artists on Flickr such as Brook Shaden
and Joel Robinson, who take part in creating surreal images.
It is through this fascination and inspiration that Huang
developed her art techniques. Equipped with basic tools
from high school photography class and a curious mind,
she would discover work that she was impressed by and
proceed to study and watch videos in attempt to recreate what
she saw. It is a similar story to many photographers in that
it is not an art form that can be altogether taught, but rather,
something you need to learn on your own by challenging yourself
to see differently and operate more creatively to find solutions.
It is this struggle for resolutions that develop personal tactics,
which in turn eventually give way to one’s own style. Huang
24

admits, “I don’t consider myself
in any way a master of this form
of art yet.” It is becoming of her
to make note of the level she
sees herself at but at the same
time it is important for any
artist to acknowledge that we
all have plenty to learn, that no
one is a complete master of any
craft. All anyone can really be a
master of is what is inside of
them, a sentiment Huang, when
asked what advice she would
give to other artists, expressed in
saying, “Only you can
create what is in your heart.”
Huang insists that for now
photography remains a
hobby, but would very much
invite having photography be
incorporated into her future
career. Regardless of her career
path, it is highly probable that
she will take her own advice
and continue to be inspired by
the art and nature around her.

FEATURED
PARI ALEXANDER

27

P
LENTY OF ARTISTS AND CREATIVE MINDS
in general often feel lost and without a purpose.
That is, until they discover that thing, sometimes a
specific medium or subject matter, that speaks to that
person. For Pari Alexander, it was not
until she began practicing with makeup that
she unleashed a very real passion that would
make her realize a change in her life’s path.
At the moment Alexander is in the process of
finishing up a film degree at San Diego State.
Her wish is to link these two mediums (makeup
and film), by training in the art of special effects
makeup, which can be applied to her film projects.
Alexander has no formal instruction in the SFX area,
but that has not stopped her in the past from honing
considerable skills. She is a firm believer in the phrase,
“practice makes perfect.” As part of her practice, she
summoned the courage that most starting artists do
not and put herself and her work out into the open.
She entered a contest for Michael Hussar, where she
was tasked with the recreation of his piece “Twink”.
This was an experience that she had a lot of fun with,
but also thought got the best of her. She felt slightly lost
until people started to inquire the type and brand of
contact lenses she was wearing, not realizing what
they were seeing was actually the eyes she had
painted on her own eye lids. Needless to say, it was a huge
vote of confidence and a turning point for her individuality.
Alexander significantly credits the makeup
community of Instagram with helping her bring
what was just a hobby into a passion. She is very
interested in giving back to this community. She shared
with us her plans to delve into YouTube as another
platform in order to teach and inspire more artists in
fostering an encouraging environment. Alexander’s is an
example of how “your late night practice sessions will turn
into something bigger than yourself.” Makeup was not her
focal point, but then it became one when she realized where
her talent lay. She practices makeup today not for the fame,
but for the fact that she simply loves doing it. With this
dedicated mindset, she has elevated herself and her skills to
the point where her name and her work can be noticed and
appreciated. She hopes she is inspiring someone beyond
the screen, something that is in almost every artist’s dream.
29

MONKEY BONES
RYAN
FAHERTY
What was your thought process behind this
collection?
I think of my work as a collection of effigies
with some lost, obscured mythology behind
it. It is while I am working on an individual
piece that I am uncovering shades of what that
mythology is. This makes creating a passive
process as much as an active process for me. I
am simultaneously receiving information as
well as applying it to the piece. At any given
point while working I am thinking what am I
being told and what must I add or subtract. It’s
the space between the thinking and doing, that
a piece really takes form for me. By keeping the
thought process abstract I feel that it allows a
lot of the unknown to occur in my work, which
keeps it exciting for me. Hopefully this makes
for an exciting experience for the viewer as well.
When I’m working on a piece, I’m constantly
fluctuating between three modes of creating.
First, there is the actual illustrating of each of
the smaller images that make up the larger composition.
Second, there is the cropping and cutting
of the drawn image. Finally, there is the constructive process of adhering the smaller pieces to the larger composition and building the larger
image. Then I respond to the piece and repeat. I feel like having this layered way of working allows me to achieve the intensely layered images.
How do you think the beginning and final product of your work has changed? How much has it changed from the original planning stage, your
vision, to the post-processing?
Most of the time, I do not have a specific idea as to how a final product will look. For the most part, I start with a general idea and work off of that. However,
while I’m working, change is constantly taking place while I go from one move to the next. I’ll often get half way through a piece thinking that I
know how the final product will look just to find that the addition of a certain drawing or image or mark has moved the piece in an entirely new direction.
I like to think of the central starting point, or the base off which I build, as a gravitational mass. The gravity of this starting point is attracting,
collecting and coalescing objects and images around it to create a solitary mass. Each session I spend with the piece has changed it into something new.
Since my work is so layered, it allows me the unique opportunity to repurpose certain sections of work for other pieces.
What I mean by this is that sometimes there will be a finished product that, overtime, I no longer feel connected to. If this
happens, I’ll typically break apart this piece and I will be left with a pile of collage material. From here I’ll either build an
entirely new piece off of each individual component, or add certain parts from the broken piece to different works in process.
Because of this, I never really know what type of life a final product will take on, even after I’ve thought it’s reached its final destination.
Did you think you would go in this direction or was it just a hobby?
I’ve always known that art and making art was what I wanted to spend my life doing. I can remember a specific moment in kindergarten that affirmed this
for me. I was in Ms. Adams’ class and we were all coloring or working on some project. As I was drawing the Riddler from Batman, my hands down favorite
super hero growing up, a couple other kids from the class came over to look at my drawing. They loved my Riddler and started asking me to draw different
things for them, which I gladly did. It stuck out so much to me because it was a distinctive moment in which other people were like, “Yeah dude, keep drawing”.
Growing up, my parents were always incredibly supportive of me and my art. They noticed that I showed a strong interest in art making at a young age
and encouraged it. They would sign me up for art classes, buy me materials and always let me do what I love. I’ve always been extremely grateful for that.
I’ve had my moments where I’ve thought it would be easier to get into a field that was a little more secure than art making. But I ultimately know,
as dramatic as it might sound, that I just couldn’t spend my life doing anything else. Art has always been so incredibly important to me mental-
30

INTER-DIMENSIONAL TOAD 31

32
BIRD BRAIN

SPRUNG

BOXED IN

FACESHIP
35

FEATURED
ly and emotional that I couldn’t go without doing it. I will
actually find myself getting anxious if I feel like too much
time has passed between the last time I’ve made something or
worked on art. For better or worse, I’m doomed to make art.
What do these pieces mean to you and what do you think
it means to others, your audience?
As I mentioned, I view my work as a collection of
effigies. Which is why I often like my work most
when it’s altogether. I think it makes for an interesting
experience when the different pieces I’ve created has a
conversation between one another. This also plays into my
attraction towards maximalism. What I am trying to create for
myself with my work is this experience in which the images
I create are exciting and not easily digested. I try to make
work that both viewer and myself want to, and can, spend
a lot of time with the work. I’m really trying to create a
world for both me and my work to live in.
It’s often a bit surprising to me how often my work gets
described as creepy or dark. I don’t hate this description, and
I can understand how it could be viewed that way, however
that is not my intention nor is it how I view the work. I do
try to make work that creates an intense viewing experience
and the images I work with are definitely odd at times. For
me, the work is a lot about dealing with little parts that make
up a whole. So by creating characters that have a sort of
Frankenstein quality in which the human form is broken apart
and reformed, I can see how it could be unsettling. But then
again, I always found the idea of Frankenstein sort of beautiful.
Can you give a short bio of where you’re from and your
biggest influences on your art?
TABERNACLE
Growing up, there were two big artistic influences that I can still see inspiring me to this day. One, like most kids from the 90s, I was oversaturated
with comic books and cartoons. Trying to recreate my favorite super heroes or cartoon characters was the earliest influence and inspiration to make
me want to draw. The second influence was church. I was raised catholic, so as a kid I would be taken to church most Sundays. I was always fascinated
with the architecture and art surrounding the space. The otherworldly nature of it all caught my attention at an early age. Although I don’t consider
myself a religious person, the imagery has always stayed with me. It’s this fascination that I believe to my later interest in folk art and art not made by
conventional artists. What attracts me to folk art is the attitude of making art with found object, or available means, in a way that is self-referential. There
is something unique to each piece of folk art because the artist is calling upon personal references before they are calling up references from the art
community. I’m also a huge horror movie and sci-fi fan, so these influences seem to find their way into my work with out me necessarily intending them to.
What is your next project going to be?
Currently I am working on a commission piece, however I have a couple ideas for projects that I would like to take on next. I would really like
to create more artist books. I have done a couple in the passed and I really miss doing them. My work has also changed quite a bit since the last
one I’ve done. Throughout high school and early college I used to keep really intensive and elaborate sketchbooks. By the end, with out intending
it, they would turn into what were essentially artist books. I always saw artist books as a nice marriage between my love of comic books with my
interest in more abstract forms of working. Also, artist books seem to have the ability to handle time differently then other forms of visual art.
Unlike a single composition, an artist book has in innate sense of the passage of time because the viewer is moving from beginning to the end.
The other project I would like to take on is series of work in which I create interchangeable, large scale body parts. These body parts would then
be assembled to create an entire figure. I would create a number of these figures and each one of them could be rearranged with the different
parts from one another. Essentially just like interchangeable puzzle pieces that could create a large variety of creatures/figures. This idea sounds
particularly exciting to me because it could really explore the idea of creating these hybrid or Frankenstein characters in a way in which I haven’t before.
36

RYAN KELLY
THE HILARIOUS AND EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED LIP ARTIST GIVES US
THE REALITY OF HER BATTLE WITH SELF-DOUBT, HER MUSES AND HOW
TO DEAL WITH DOGS THAT LOVE GLITTER MORE THAN SHE DOES
38

ACCORDING TO RYAN KELLY, inspiration and ideas are
everywhere: holidays movies, pop culture, and friends.
It is fair to say though that when it comes to makeup,
mainly creativity in lip art, many people can name their
inspiration as Ryan Kelly. Having been interviewed by Yahoo and
Time, she has gained considerable, well-deserved recognition for her
innovative artwork as well as expert execution. She interprets simplicity
in a conceptual fashion that many people strive to do and she efficiently
produces valuable work with perfected minutiae. Even so, this experienced
artist still feels the weight of self-critique and embraces the artist’s struggle.
She cringes at anything she completed outside the last two
months. Anything not recent becomes a canvas for nitpicking.
Even when this professional artist sits down to begin a
new project, her creative process does not differ from others.
Ryan Kelly starts with a clear concept and well-organized plan.
“I clean and set up my desk with all of the products I think I’ll need and
arrange them in a way that would satisfy my husband’s OCD tendencies.”
The initial confidence that comes with the inception of a great idea
quickly turns to frustration when, half way through the process, the
39

FEATURED
vision is not achieved. Her frustration is always compounded by her
dogs, which seem to love tracking glitter everywhere in her house.
“At this point there is lipstick and paint all over my entire face, in my hair
and on the floor,” She says. “One or both of my dogs have stepped in it and
proceed to leave a chihuahua sized trails of glitter throughout my house.
Inevitably, it’s too late not to just see the look through, so I refine and refine
and refine.” But in her genius, through malfunction and tech chaos, she
succeeds in producing something that she is happy with and something
that measures her of her prowess. “You’d think I’d learn by now that it
usually turns out
okay in the end in
both art and life. Ahh
the artist’s struggle.”
One could assume
that professionals
definitely have it
together and the entire
process is smooth and
refined. But Kelly, on
the other hand, takes
the advice of her artist
grandfather, “Pop Pop,”
as she calls him, in that
an artist should, “Make
a mess and fix it.” Kelly proclaims that artists do have a tendency to
over-think. They torment themselves over the work they do when the
only people they should really be looking to please are themselves.
In her own words, “Authenticity is Beauty”.
All the same, she acknowledges the struggle, participating in a
medium that requires ridiculous patience in order to accomplish
all that tiny detail on such a small canvas with tinier brushes. She
manages to find beauty in the journey, which is important and
helpful to reassure her with the reasons she does everything she does.
But what else makes the journey even more beautiful? “Wine!” She
winks playfully. I’m surprised how she can keep those lines straight.
In addition to wine, Kelly cites MAC Cosmetics as a crucial
assistant in her career. They laid the groundwork for her by
giving her first formal professional makeup attempt. Not only
did they show her the ropes of how makeup works, but they also
introduced her to the language that exists in the beauty culture.
“So, was there formal training?” I asked.
“Yes and no. For years, music was my outlet. Makeup was just
something I enjoyed because it was a way to express myself while I was
on stage. I ended up working for MAC Cosmetics as what I thought
would be just a side gig. MAC really laid the groundwork for me.
That was the first time I’d ever received any formal training in art or
makeup. It was also the first time I’d ever heard anyone say, ‘Yaass.’ If
the MAC trainers looked at your work and gave you a spirited, ‘Yaass,
girl’ you knew you’d done something right. I love that the beauty
community has become it’s own culture. We have our silly little language
and ways of communicating with each other. It’s become a way of life.”
Now, Kelly runs her own freelance makeup company called
Blend Makeup Artistry. Her partner in this company is no
other than her own mother who is also a makeup artist and a “force of
nature.” “She has this way of calming everyone in a room and then just
completely blowing them out of the water with her talent and
ability,” says Kelly. Her husband is also a huge support in her career,
as he loves being around people and encourages her to put herself out
there, meet people, experience life and leave her introverted tendencies
behind. She shares how if people had told her ten years ago that she’d be
interviewed by the big dog media about painting tiny pictures on her
lips, she would have
spit out her sugar-free
Red Bull and
laughed in their faces.
“If the MAC trainers looked
at your work and gave
you a spirited,
‘YAASS, GIRL’
you knew you’d
done something right.”
She showed her
grandfather her lip art
once. “I think he was
confused. I’m sure
he later shook his
head while muttering
something about
these crazy kids
and their internet
machines.”
Her grandfather also had the gift of effortlessly painting portrait
and landscapes; something she was always baffled by. What he
doesn’t understand, however, is the strength of Instagram and how it
connects people. She picks Instagram as her favorite form of
publicity because it is exclusively a visual showcase. The beauty
community on Insta is truly a supportive one (minus the internet trolls).
She waves, “Hi trolls!” and continues, “Far more often, what I see is
artists encouraging one another, lifting each other up, celebrating victories
together, challenging each other, sharing product knowledge, and
collaborating. What other platform presents the opportunity for artists
from different places all over the world to create collaboration pieces
that support women with breast cancer or autism awareness? I see huge
international makeup lines like Kat Von D and NYX finding
brand ambassadors and connecting directly with their
customers. Indi start-up brands are blowing up because artists
now have a voice to stand behind them. How powerful is that?
Social media is so often misconstrued as something that is
creating a chasm between us, but I think it does exactly the opposite.”
Kelly referenced many empowering female artists who inspire her,
namely, Anastasia Soare, Bobbi Brown, Marla Malcolm Beck, and
Charlotte Tilbury. She religiously follows makeup artist extraordinaire
Pat McGrath, Lisa Eldridge, and Andrew Gallimore, admitting
she stalks their profile when she needs a fix of creative juice. With
that, she turns to her audience of aspiring artists and advises, “We’re
sensitive creatures by nature, so it’s very easy to slip into
worrying about what ‘they’ will like. Don’t create anything for anyone
else and don’t create for likes.” Kelly has a simple goal for the near future,
which is to remain happy and healthy, and find new ways to express
herself creatively. She told us that her grandfather’s advice was, to this
day, the best advice she had ever received. Maybe this time, her advice
will resonate the same way to someone else out in the public sphere.
41

OPINIONS
JUST BECAUSE THE
WEATHER IS DRY
DOESN’T MEAN
YOUR HAIR SHOULD BE
WHAT TO DO
WHEN THE COLD
GIVES YOU THE
BAD HAIR DAY
HAIR STYLIST MARTINS
GIVES US A RUNDOWN ON
HOW TO GET NATURALLY
LUSCIOUS LOCKS
WRITTEN BY BECKY MARTINS
I
N NEW ENGLAND, the weather is constantly
changing. One day the sun is beaming, the next, everyone is
sporting their heavy winter coats. The article, Weather and
Your Hair stated, “Cold, dry air can cause the cuticle layer of the
hair to lift, and going into a warm, dry interior environment then
leeches the moisture out of the hair, leaving it dry and frizzy.”
Normally, dry hair simply needs a bit of shine or a few drops
of oil. Tea Tree Oil is a wonderful product for this. It has many
different and useful purposes to it besides treating dry hair,
like clearing up acne. It can also be used as a supplement for
cleaning supplies. Tea Tree Oil is sold at many drugstores
for no more than USD$3 and can be found online as well.
Another product that is an absolute must have is any Argan
Oil brand. Argan oil work wonders on the hair. It is a great
go-to for a nourisihing, deep moisturizing of any type of hair,
thick or thin, long or short, course or smooth. The best part
involves how most Argan Oils incorporate a mixture and blend of
other healthy components that help renew and replenish your hair.
Braids are a great ‘protective’ style. They are the
perfect hairstyle to lock in moisture and rest. The best
way to treat your hair is by putting the least amount of
pressure and heat into
it, allowing it to naturally
shape and flow. A
great rule-of-thumb to
go by is: if you choose to perm, flat-iron, straighten or curl your hair,
you should allow your hair two or three days of a break from any heat
application. While braids can definitely be a regular style to have, try
not to lock the in for too long due to the pull/pressure that is being
applied to your scalp, which could hurt it. Then, after a week of styling and
pulling on your hair, always remember to use those oils and treat yourself
to a spa day at home to keep your hair looking fresh, young and healthy.
IMAGES COURTESY OF PINTREST
43

THE SONG
OF AVARICE
Photography by Dan McCarthy
MUA, Styling & Direction by Cindy Chen
BTS Photography by James Clark
Modeled by Iliana Tzikas

EDITORIAL
Shenanigans and thoughts
on the set of this issue’s
editorial, Song of Avarice
Time is precious when you’re live on a shoot,
especially if you plan on changing the looks on
the same model in one go. Cloudy skies and
unexpected showers are the worst nightmares. The set was
simple: a tapestry I brought from the El Rastro Sunday flea
market in Madrid was hung up on the wall
facing the windows. We centered the table, covered the
wooden chair with a beautiful geometric-patterned
oversized cape. The subtle, darker hues of the fabric
complemented the otherwise neutral palette of our
background. Two photographers stationed
their equipment, the intensity of the silence
interrupted by the shutters of cameras and the
peaceful ambience broken by a subdued trance
playlist reverberating off laptop speakers in the corner.
THE PERFECT CAPTURE
Usually, the level of enthusiasm with the team peaks
at three points. First, when the model shows up and
everyone sees her for the first time in person. Two, when
the makeup, costumes and set are translated from paper to
reality, finalized and ready to be photographed. Three,
when the photographer takes THE shot that we KNOW
we’ll pick even after reviewing the film roll ten times. It’s the
52

Photo by Dan McCarthy
BTS Photos by James Clark

EDITORIAL
“DON’T WORRY
ABOUT IT.
DO WHATEVER YOU
NEED TO DO.”
- ILIANA TZIKAS, MODEL
moment of epiphany when a model is caught at the tip of her
inhale, where her expression tenses in the right way; where
the light catches her facial features in just the right places.
THE MODEL
Iliana is an ideal model. She’s petite like a mannequin.
She fits into everything I construct, as I am a petite
model myself. She doesn’t flinch when the makeup
brush touches her eye. She doesn’t try to interrupt the
production process by using her phone to take selfies.
There were multiple parts to the costume that defined
the character of Avarice. We wanted to see two sides of
her: the human side, and her toxic alter ego. She kept
saying one thing when I asked her if she needed a break,
“Don’t worry about it. Do whatever you need to do.”
THE COSTUME OF RECYCLED ITEMS
Sitting in a non-glamorous fashion in the middle of
my living room, I’ve always wondered how couturiers
constructed their pieces. Granted most of them are
funded generously for their projects, but there are some
people who dare to venture into the unconventional
architecture of costume fashion design, so I decided to
share my process with everyone as well. So, here is the
breakdown. Two cereal boxes (thank you frosted flakes
and whole wheat grains), toilet paper rolls (thank you
roommates for dumping them on my desk whenever
we run out of paper), newspapers, one egg carton, hot
glue, thin wires and gemstones from Michael’s were the
essential ingredients for this piece. The irony of
designing something that represents greed for all things
related to wealth. While I would love to bore everyone
with a step-by-step recipe, I must admit most of this was
a result of trial and error. After weeks of burn blisters
and paper cuts, it was finally ready to be photographed
and filmed in four parts. The head piece, face ‘gas’ mask,
chest piece and shoulder armor were all made separately.
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Dan doesn’t say much, but being a dancer himself,
he’s nimble and fast, one eye on the viewfinder. Every
time I turned around, he was on top of the couch, on
the ground or positioned over the table. The clicking
didn’t stop. We are fast workers, and we were focused on
beating the sunset and the brooding clouds that
signaled an impending downpour. While I was able
to direct specific shots and switch the costumes
up for the editorial section, James had the creative
54

liberty of combining the fictional scene with the
organized madness on set. This included Dan
hopping on the one leg he had not injured, and then me,
wobbling from one side of the table to the other
with tripod and camera in hand as I try to video the
process whilst directing the rest of the crew. All of us are
running on adrenalin, lost in a race of artistic passion
and partially starving because, well, we forget to eat
(probably it’s just me). One would think that I’d be
smarter considering the number of photoshoots I’ve
been apart of (and the situations that I had gone through
to get enough footage). Two hours later, an uber ride to
the Newton forest and a hike up to a plateau of autumn
leave blankets, we were taking the last few essential shots
for the narrative before wrapping up the entire thing. I’m
adjusting the camera to focus on my model’s face, when
suddenly she uncharacteristically breaks into hysterics.
“Did you really?!” She asked.
I glanced up from the LCD to realize what she was
asking. Out of frame, there was Dan, crouching with
his neck craned to turn his head, face flushed and a
silly grin plastered on his face. Apparently, he was
trying to avoid putting weight on his recently
wounded knee and ended up in a half split-half lunge
that ripped a gigantic hole in his jeans. I’m not exaggerating
when I say the denim tear was quite impressive.
Needless to say, I ended up rolling on the floor in a fit
of laughter as he pointed at me and yelled, “Don’t blog
about this!”
I obviously ignored him, but he’ll get over it. It truly
went with the motto that describes my friendship with
Dan: “The things we do for art…”
55

KELSEY WEBER

58

FEATURED
GRADUATED FROM Cinema Makeup in
Los Angeles, California, Kelsey Weber
uses both her degree in High Fashion, Beauty and
Airbrush, and her own research in SpecialFx
and Face/Body Painting to show that art has no
limits. She aspires to be like true makeup goddesses
Dehsarae Mahrae (@dehsonae), Mykie from
Glam&Gore (@mykie_) and Lex (@creativeboss), all
popularly searched on Instagram for glamorous visual feeds.
Weber’s “Cheater” labeling inspired piece sends out
the message that “as humans, we are all labeled and/
or bullied at some point in our lives.” She adds, To
quickly label someone based on sex, style, sexual
orientation, rumors etc, can be painful, hurtful and
at times unforgivable. The damage we create, may
go unseen to us, but can truly be immense. Here
is a glimpse of what some of us, may have made
someone feel, had insults been blasted on our skin.
Labeling, branding, bullying—all of it—needs to stop.”
Her makeup work combined with advocacy is a
product of her dreams of working on a show as
extravagant as “Cirque du Soleil.” On the other hand,
she wouldn’t mind going down the road of avant
garde makeup design for the runway. In the end,
she makes sure to remind everyone to always stay
humble, to not be inflated by the temptations of
fame, and also to never stop practicing your art.
60

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

FEATURED
SHAUNA
SHANKS
T
HE MOMENT SHAUNA
Shanks decided to create an
Instagram account, she developed
a makeup artist career for herself that she
hadn’t known was possible a couple months
beforehand. She followed the route of
Mykie of Glam and Gore when she took
this step and immediately tried to give the
100 Days of Makeup Challenge a shot. Her
success since then has connected her with
other makeup artists and gave her the
motivation to compete in other contests that
continued to broaden her network of artists.
62

“The clown look was actually part of a
HallowGlam Challenge hosted by
@wallflower_artistry and @glampira (two
amazing artists on IG). Its challenges
like these that have pushed me out of my
comfort zone and made me obsessed with
body painting and special effects makeup.”
Besides the common sources of
inspiration, namely movies, books, video
games or the work of other artists, it is usually a
combination of ideas that completes a look
rather than one specific thing. Her Ice
Queen look was a mix between the witch
from Narnia and Candy Land characters,
while the Killer Clown was inspired by her
favorite author Stephen King’s book, “It.”
However, Shanks stresses that her all time
favorites are done in the mood of sitting
down, a blank slate, and creating as she goes.
63

64
FEATURED

SUSANN GRASSOW
sOME MAY QUESTION how one gets into
the sort of art that Susann Grassow is into.
Her fascination with both Halloween and
horror movies sufficiently explains of her
love of special effects (SFX) makeup. In a way, it also
explains her talent. Her passion drove her to study
and apply makeup on her body in order to teach
herself to be a makeup artist. The process of
developing skills and recognition as a self-taught artist
is definitely not an easy one (as many can account for)
and it is not without the many plunders of venturing
into a new career. It helps to look at these experiences as
lessons for the future rather than mistakes to dwell on.
Grassow shared with us the relatively interesting
production of her Missing Eyes Makeup Tutorial,
wherein she found herself sitting in a bathtub filled to
the brim with grape juice with makeup that created the
illusion of having no eyes. At one point, she was about
to document everything with her camera, only to
find her memory card not responding, leaving her
awkwardly sitting alone in the crazy setup without a
functional recording device. Lesson learned: memory
cards have a “read only” mode switch that prohibits
cameras from entering new data into it. Needless to
say, she will not forget that little bit of info ever again.
Speaking of not forgetting, another project that has
been engrained in her mind (for better reasons)
is her Pumpkin Tutorial. Inspired by high fashion
photography and, well, a vision of a lady with a pumpkin
head, Grassow spent a full five hours creating the makeup,
a feat she expressed extreme happiness and pride in.
She has had her youtube channel for one year now,
a task she always dreamed of embarking on, but
never thought she would start due to her shyness. But
not letting her timidity stop her, she emphasizes the
importance of being kind and persistently
working hard to achieve your dreams. In continuing her
channel, Grassow dreams of collaborating with some
of the artists she idealizes in the industry, specifically
Lex of Madeyewlook. In her wish list, she is determined
to create her own makeup concept for a horror movie.
She adds while chuckling, “And maybe a collaboration
with Madeyewlook? Call me Lex, if you read this!”
MISSING EYES TUTORIAL
65

A D V E R T I

S E M E N T

PRODUCT REVIEW
Graftobian Makeup Company’s cosmetic powdered
metals is extremely refined. Adding it into
the mixing solution creates an interesting bubbly,
viscous consistency. Easy application, well
pigmented, and easily removable with water.
Watch out for the little particles floating around
in the air after you use the product so you don’t
inhale your makeup. Beautiful colors, exuberant
shine and long-lasting on skin.
A D V E R T I

S E M E N T

VIOLET REBEL

FEATURED
N I C O L E
VIOLET REBEL WORKS
when inspiration strikes. She
experiments, makes a mess and tells
others to be “authentically you.” As a
self-taught artist, she believes any failures
are just building her to become the best
artist she can be. Hours spent slaving over
makeup experimentation, meticulously
following YouTube tutorials, Violet Rebel
began her Instagram account with the 100
Days of Makeup Challenge, where she
had to create 100 different looks in 100
consecutive days. In the process, she found her
style and built a skill set that not only gained her
followers and fans, but also formed new friendships
through collaborations with other artists.
To the world she is Violet Rebel, but
to her friends and family, she is Nicole
Barnett, a girl raised in a small town of
Indiana with not much exposure to the art
scene except from her mom and grandma
who fed her creativity from a young age. Both
of them were just as crafty and taught her
everything she knew until she was able to
use the supplies and knowledge in a more
self-expressive way. She is well on her way
to turn this into a full-fledge career, either
through social media or through the old
fashioned freelance technique (ideally both!).
B A R N E T T
74

MADELEINE
BLIND SEER
THE SEER FROM ONCE UPON A TIME
WITCH OF SNOW WHITE WITH FACE PAINT
BURNED FACE USING SCULPT GEL
HARIRIAN
SWEDISH SFX MAKEUP ARTIST TRANSFORMS HER
FACE INTO A STARTLING AND REALISTIC CHARACTERS
75

ZOE BUTTERWORTH
ZOE BUTTERWORTH STANDS IN THE LIME LIGHT AS THE FACE AND
MASTERMIND OF HER ARTISTRY, WITH AN EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND
IN THEATER ADDING A PUMP OF STYLISTIC DRAMA TO HER WORK.
77

IT IS NO SURPRISE that Butterworth, having performed and watched theatre from a very young age, adopted a very dramatic style to her
work. On Instagram she is known as ZoEllen, and with the attention she receives for her work, she always prepares herself to receive as much
negativity as praise. Butterworth does not have a hard time being noticed as she is very apt at putting herself out there, always coming up with
unique concepts and being comfortable with using her own (very youthful) face as the model for her brand. She mentions how she hopes in
five years time she will still retain her baby face and get ID’d everywhere she goes. Born and raised in North Wales, United Kingdom, Butterworth
does not shy away from extreme ideas, open to doing whatever it takes to accomplish them no matter how unconventional her methods may be.
A perfect example of this willingness comes with her look, ‘Paper Flower Skull’ where she attached paper flowers cut out from Vogue Magazine
onto her own face using spirit gum. The technique was an ode to her three years at Liverpool Hope University, where she had created
a variety of collages and installations that involved paper as a 3D medium. She thanks her Fine Arts degree, which really helped her adapt
what she learned to the world of makeup. As she says encouragingly, “The artistic techniques still apply, the only difference is the canvas!”
She understands that in any form of artistry, it is important to take influence and be informed by any and all experiences one possesses. Butterworth
made a point of acknowledging that the support of her parents and grandmother played a significant role in shaping her goals. What matters is sharing
her hobby-turned-profession with them. They had been on her side, supporting her dancing, singing and acting lessons for years. In addition,
Butterworth shares her gratitude for the wonders of Instagram. In fact, she references a community of makeup artists as being yet another source
of support that she has counted on during her journey. However, on a last note, she wholly warns everyone else to “NEVER encourage the trolls!”
79

80
FEATURED

ACHRAF BAZNANI
Moroccan photographer and filmmaker Achraf Baznani (Born in Marrakesh) carries on the traditions of Surrealism with his wild,
imaginative, and wholly impractical imagery. Among his inventive scenarios, small human figures—often the artist himself—appear
trapped within glass jars or the size of a camera lens; in other works, Baznani more or less dissects his body, as for example, in one, he
cleanly removes his brain from his cranium, or in another, twists off his hand, much as if it were a light bulb. Imparted throughout such
works are strong senses of humor and wonder, and as such, Baznani’s art offers a Surrealistic take on life experience in the digital age.
A self-taught artist, Baznani has had no formal photography education. He lives and works in Morocco.
81

CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY IS, first and foremost,
about the concept of the photo. A conceptual
photographer is trying to bring some message
about to the viewer, be it a political advert or a social
commentary or an emotional outcry. There is some level of
abstraction, thus, in my works: the image is not an explicit
example of the concept, but a general expression of the idea.
Conceptual photography makes healthy use of graphical symbols to represent ideas, movements, moods,
anything and everything that the photographer might want to include in the message of their photograph.
For my works, there are a variety of ways a concept falls into place, most often it starts with a spark of inspiration and grows from
there, whether it is a person, design, story that needs to be told, regardless, it all starts with a single point. From there it becomes simple
problem solving. I don’t spend very much time looking at what other people are doing. I like to stay aware and connected to what others
are doing by following sites such as Flickr. But beyond that, I spend the rest of my time meeting people, creating, and really just living life. I
think the best way to being inspired is not to just try to emulate others, but to find what inspires you in life and trying to capture and share it.
I use Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 4. I use Lightroom
to correct and change the colorimetry pictures. Then I go
on to the most important Photoshop retouching. To learn
how to master these tools, I spent hours in front of my
computer to study the tutorials available on the Internet.

FREELANCING
It’s Not for Everyone
WRITTEN BY DAN MCCARTHY
TO FREELANCE IS TO EMBRACE a scenario
that is both fulfilling and challenging for the same
reasons. For example, being involved in several
jobs of different subject matter and style is exciting and
keeps you on your toes, but at the same time, trying to
juggle multiple projects for multiple clients is far from
the least stressful thing in the world. My work hours are
sporadic at best. I can find myself filming a dance video
at 2AM or waking up to shoot an interview at 8AM.
There is though freedom and a pleasurable sense of
potential spontaneity that comes with not being tied
to a structured schedule. I enjoy doing something
PHOTO BY JAMES CLARK
different everyday. Rather than waking up for the
same 9AM-5PM in the same office cubicle five days
a week, every day of my week is open to all types of
opportunities that range from editing for
hours in front of a laptop screen, to meeting
clients in a bar at two in the afternoon to film a
video showcasing a talented Bostonian bartender.
My profession as a freelancer cannot often be defined
as completely stable, that is to say that it inevitably
paves way to highs and lows, instead of a predictable
and steady trajectory. I, as a freelance artist, can have
a killer streak where I am busy shooting for multiple
83

OPINIONS
clients, to the point where I even have to turn down
offers due to scheduling overload. The unfortunate
truth, however, is that this streak can quickly turn into
a dry spell. The worst part is when you are so busy
editing productions from the peak times of a month, you
forget that you have little to nothing lined up when things
begin to slow down.
The threat of that lull
between jobs is absolutely
tormenting
once it truly sinks in.
What I fear the most
is not being busy, because
for me to finally
hit the end of a project
is not as satisfying
as much as it is a
red flag—a reminder of the thin line I tread between
running my own business and being unemployed.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The ultimate objective as a freelance artist is to obtain
consistency. One of the biggest steps forward in my
career is finding clientele who are not just hiring for
one time projects, but rather companies or people who
require my services regularly. While acquiring clients,
it is also very important to find and be confident in the
value of your services. I know I have caught myself in a
state of desperation for work or overly anxious to take
on a project that I began to compromise both the client
and myself in order to justify doing something for less.
I am not someone to condone doing something just
for money but it is true: adults do have to pay the rent.
In the end most things come down to balance;
for example balance between financial needs and
creative desires, or balance between genuine
camaraderie and professional respect. However hard it
may be, the right decision can be to walk away from
the client who cannot or is just not willing to meet the
value you have determined for yourself. Trust me when
I say it is worth it when you do acquire the clients who
acknowledge your value as an artist who is providing
them a service. These are the people to hang on to and
build relationships with. In fact, one of the most important
aspects of freelancing is maintaining connections.
As the cliché saying
goes, “It is all about
who you know”. Although
a more accurate
amendment of
this statement would
be, “It is all about who
knows you”. What I
have found is that I
know tons of people,
but what matters when it comes to getting work is for
people that I know to be in need of my services and have
me on their mind when they do. Ultimately, they will
have the funds to pay me for my efforts. The best way
to make this a reality is to be as present as possible is
the eyes of the people who will need you. This means
being aware of the communities that you can cater to.
“It is all about who you know”.
Although a more accurate
amendment of this statement
would be, “It is all about who
knows you”.
For me this was a community of dancers who then,
through word of mouth and general exposure, helped
me reach new milestones in my career. My current and
past clients have always been my best marketing team.
But if there is anything to take away from this, it is to just
keep finding and doing work. Essentially, work breeds
more work. You need to produce as much content as
possible just to stay in the endless fight that is buying
for the attention of potential clients. Being a freelancer
has tested my time management, professionalism, and
even my sanity, but it is a job that I am (occasionally)
confident that I can pull off. At the very least I can say
that my life is not without its interesting happenings.
84

VivianWong

FEATURED
B
RAINSTORMING, the initial stage of practically any art project,
can be a troublesome process for anyone. It is similar to a writer’s
block—an artist’s block might be more appropriate to say. But
there are people like Vivian Wong, who have the opposite problem: having
an intimidating profusion of ideas that she can’t contain. She states that
she often finds herself wanting to experiment with so many techniques
and subject matter that it can be hard to choose anything. She used to
be an artist envious of those who had a niche to belong to and focus on.
“I used to think this means that I don’t have my own style and that would
really stress me out when I’m trying to come up with something to draw.
But gradually I realized I don’t necessarily have to stick to one form of
drawing and theme.”
She has since embraced drawing as a medium that allows for the
exploration and discovery of new approaches. Looking at her
elaborate portfolio you will find anything from animals to
zentagle doodles. Wong is extremely skilled at creating
animated portraits, many of which were inspired by her love for
Disney films. One in particular focuses on the mystical nature of “Alice in
Wonderland” that Wong found very enchanting. By combining her
attention to detail and design, she was able to incorporate incredibly
rendered elements of the story into the image of the girl. Within just
the drawing of her hair, there are playing cards, clocks, and butterflies.
Wong has been drawing ever since she was a little kid, but for years,
the drawings remained untouched in her sketchbook. The day she
discovered Instagram opened that sketchbook up to social media,
introducing her and her work to people all around the work. What
started as a platform to share images and receive feedback has now
resulted in over 100,000 people viewing her work, a number that
has had an impact not only on her confidence, but also in her life.
86

While Wong addresses her drawing as a hobby, she continues to
improve ability by trying out new techniques—techniques that
are sure to help her (in at least some respect) with a not-so-easy
architecture degree that she is currently pursuing. Wong’s
interest in architecture was certainly tied into her background of
having grown up in Hong Kong. She has taken a lot of influence from the
structures in a metropolis environment. Aside from the
buildings in the city, the place she lives in happens to be a hub for
art, culture and technology. “The city itself has many interesting and
picturesque places for a postcard perfect photograph
opportunity…vintage shops, graffiti walls, markets, old buildings and
the list goes on and on.” It would be hard to ignore the impressive
scenery and expansive collection of galleries available for inspiration.
No wonder she couldn’t pin down one idea.
Wong shares with us that her biggest source of inspiration is not the
decadence of urbanity, but her art teacher, who she had the pleasure
of knowing and being mentored by for the past thirteen years. “She
was the one who taught me everything I needed to know about art and
drawing and I am so grateful for her.” With the correction foundation and
training, she seeks artists on social media and the Internet to further
aspire to be even greater. At this point, we asked her to play the role of teacher
and tell us what she would say to the other artists who follow her work.
“As cliché or generic as it may sound, my advice to other artists is to be
yourself. Don’t conform to art/style trends, find something you enjoy
drawing and making. Find something that inspires you. The artists you
find will be like your teachers. Their artwork can form conversations
with you and teach you different techniques or something you would
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FEATURED
have never thought of. Practice also makes perfect - if you are a beginner artist, know that it can take years and years for an artist to master just one
specific medium or subject matter! It doesn’t happen overnight so don’t ever give up and keep going with a strong passion and mindset!” She beams,
“I know [art] is something I’ll never give up on.”
“...gradually I realized I don’t
necessarily have to stick to one form of
drawing and theme.”
88

MEMORIES
IN JEWELED
ARMOR
----WRITTEN BY KAITLIN ASTRELLA----
WHEN RINGS ARE MORE
THAN JUST ACCESSORIES

I AM A MAGPIE HUNTING FOR GLITTER in
every city I visit. This is how I collect my
jewelry—plucking silver from places to make a
story. The story behind each little piece makes the
carefully harvested prize beautiful beyond the shine.
It has been silver rings, mostly. I wear four: a
pearl perched between two diamonds, a double
clauddagh, an ivory cameo, and latticed band. I found the
claddagh first, when I was thirteen on a trip to Ireland
with my family. The claddagh is symbolic in Ireland for
love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the
crown). If you point the heart towards yourself, your
heart is taken. If you leave the heart open to the world,
you are free. But I didn’t want the heart to be closed
or open like the traditional style because, even at thirteen,
I thought I should keep my heart a secret. And
I always wanted to be free. My nontraditional setting
has two claddaghs knotted together at the arms like a
rounded infinity sign, circling the love, friendship, and
loyalty back for me to not only seek, but also emulate.
One ring felt lonely on my hand, so I went rummaging
in my mother’s jewelry box, where I found her pearl ring
from high school. It’s the only ring that fits perfectly on
my pointer finger next to the double claddagh because of
its thin band. I always thought it was like a sea treasure
for that reason, like the pearl floats over my knuckle and
there is just a silver mermaid hair holding it all together.
I knew I wanted a third ring because three is a fairy
tale number, and my left hand looked sort of bare
without any sparkle as my fingers fluttered over my
keyboard. I waited until I took flight somewhere new.
On another family trip, this time to England, I made
it my mission to find my third ring so I could take a
piece of that mythical country with me when I had to
go home. I had been to London and Bath in the books
I read growing up—Persuasion, Harry Potter, Dracula,
Treasure Island. And I was finally going. We went to
the city of Bath on a day trip, but I didn’t want to leave;
I had seen the Roman Baths and the honey-colored
Georgians and the looming Abbey. We only had a
limited amount of time before we had to be back
on the tour bus, so while I was scouring the city for
treasure with my mother, we stumbled upon a spiritual
crystal store. Here, I found my third ring. I saw it in the
window, in one of those turning displays that you only see in
really old jewelry stores, the kinds with doilies and dusty
diamonds. It is always meant to be if you see it in a window.
When the jeweler took it out of the case for me, she
told me its story. She makes all of her pieces with
found stones and crystals. The face in the ring she took
from another larger ivory work and set it in silver. A
garnet star hovers over the cameo like a halo for
the goddess face. The garnet is my birthstone (more
destiny), so I asked the jeweler what properties it had.
She explained that the deep, rich red stone signified
stability and abundance in creativity; the garnet
encourages dreams coming true. It fit me perfectly, and I
had to leave the city of Bath but I promised myself I would
come back. For the interim, I had this goddess on hand.
And I did go back to Bath. After I left with a piece
of the city, maybe it had a magic pull on me. I
worked in a bookstore called Mr. B’s Emporium of
Reading Delights, and wandered once again along the
cobble stone streets in search of silver.
Predictably, I found treasure at every turn.
Books, of course, and a fourth ring: a simple
silver lattice work one that I could wear everyday—
at once ornate and symmetrical like the Georgian
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OPINIONS
style house I lived in. Now I have a handful of memories that I can see every time I look down or reach up.
I think I like rings best because I see them most. I can watch my hands when I am writing or typing or
reading and see a memory. When I am nervous, I adjust them—my talismans, like small pretty armor, protect
me from worries. The best part about talismans is that they can be passed down; they are little heirlooms that
last and last, hoarded in every nest for their silver but mainly for their stories that meld into the metal over time.
92

M A R I A
G R A Z I A

FEATURED
OLD DOLLS
STILL PLAY
Maria Grazia, is from Italy and is proud to not only be an artist but a mother. Ten years ago she began by creating a cute website,
on which she talked about skincare and daily makeup routines. She invited women from different backgrounds to contact her with
questions and problems as to give her an outlet within the field to work with. After her first son was born, she didn’t have enough
free time to dedicate to the project anymore. Five years later, Grazia discovered the magic of YouTube and fell in love with artistic
makeup and the transformations that came with it. In following the video tutorials of famous American gurus, she picked up various
techniques. Although she is Italian, she admits it is the American style that inspired her work most. When she mastered the basics,
she was able to develop a personal style and became quite successful. Currently she has uploaded over a hundred original videos on
her channel. She believes the video where she transformed herself in a tropical fish was one the best representations of her signature.
It was an extremely intricate process and for her, an awesome introduction into chroma key. An aspect that attributes to Grazia’s unique
style is her method of playing with multiple materials. She creates precious little themes for each new look, taking inspiration first
from nature, flowers, undersea worlds, and then to the extremity of halloween characters. Grazia often wear fantasy contact lenses to
enhance the final look, which she admits she has quite the collection of via gracious sponsors, a treat for any artist. Recently, Grazia and
her work has migrated from her YouTube channel to her Instagram page, @OldDollsStillPlay, where she concentrated her passions for
eyelid and lip art. She has now the ability to put a whole world on one eyelid, with the help of one magnificent mirror. In order to learn
Grazia’s ways, you need only to check out her tutorials, where she passes on her knowledge of anything from homemade paper stencils
to DIY creative eyebrows and lashes. Grazia wishes all artists to enjoy their artistic endeavors because, frankly, art is meant to be fun.
94

STAY WARM
(IN STYLE)
THIS WINTER
WRITTEN BY: SUMMER LIN
JUST BECAUSE THE temperatures have dipped below
freezing doesn’t mean you have to forsake your
sartorial preferences once the snow starts to hit the ground.
When GQ famously dubbed Boston one of the “Worst
Dressed Cities in America,” back in 2013, they were envisioning
Fenway bros in backwards Red Sox baseball caps and
collegiate undergrads in leggings, not the Bostonians
dressed to the nines trapezing across the South End or the
Financial District in shearling vests and John Varvatos suits.
This winter, ditch the Canada Goose jacket and be on the
lookout for some major fashion inspiration coming your way.
FUR COATS
This isn’t your grandmother’s mink coat. Whether it’s a
shearling vest, a magenta faux fur number, or pieces of
minx, lamb, or fox fur woven into Prada’s double-breasted
coat, there’s a reason why this season’s hottest coats and
accessories come feathered and furred. Fur coats are
having a moment and it’s not difficult to see why—there’s
something utterly decadent about throwing on something
furry over a simple top and distressed jeans. Not to mention,
nothing keeps you warmer than fur during the colder months.
DUSTER COATS
Strap on your heels and brace yourself for this season’s most
practical (and coziest) trend. The floor-length duster coat
has been gracing (quite literally) the runways since the resort
collections hit last spring. Design houses such as Chanel and Calvin
Klein have been sporting longer hemlines and it’s no secret why:
when it comes to outerwear in the winter, the longer the better.
SWEATER WEATHER
Bundle up in a woolen or cashmere sweater and
bask in one of winter’s greatest pleasures. Sweater
weather season has finally arrived and with it, one
of winter’s hottest trends. We’ve seen interior and
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OPINIONS
tapestry-style motifs from Mary Katrantzou
and Erdem last season, but winter is when we
finally put those trends into use by adding a sweater
fit for a Moroccan rug to our cold-wear wardrobes.
LAYERING
Ditch the A-line skirts and breezy summer dresses—cold
weather style is all about layering. If
looking put-together once the temperatures drop
seems daunting, try layering on a scarf over a
sweater and consider throwing on a pair of heels
to give the outfit a streamlined, modern flair
(given that there’s no snow on the ground of course.)
KNEE-HIGH
BOOTS
These boots may have been made for walking, but that
doesn’t mean they look stylish doing it (We’re looking
at you L.L. Bean Boots.) Every Bostonian should come
equipped with a sturdy pair of water-resistant snow
boots come December, but on the off-snow days, try
on a pair of knee-high leather riding boots for size.
96
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PINTREST

PHOTO JOURDAN DUNN FROM MISS VOGUE, APRIL 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELO PENNETTA
OPINIONS
IT’S JUST
PLAIN
RACISM
WRITTEN BY MAHEK TULSIANI
WHAT’S A GIRL
GOING TO THINK
WHEN SHE ALL SHE SEES
IS SKIN-WHITENING
PRODUCTS ALL DAY?
“BUT EVEN TODAY,
IN 2015, IT IS HARD
FOR WOMEN OF
COLOR TO OPEN A
MAGAZINE AND BE
ABLE TO SEE
OURSELVES
THERE. “
I REMEMBER GOING to an Indian grocery store with
my mother when I was five years old, complaining about
being dragged along for her errands. She was just
picking up some ingredients for dinner that night, but I was
kind of an impatient kid. To pass the time, I browsed the
aisles, obviously not looking for anything in particular, and
stumbled across a whole range of skin whitening products.
When you’re five years old, that kind of thing gets
internalized pretty quickly. So did the fact that, in the
Philippines, where I lived for all of my formative years, is
rampant with advertisements for skin lightening products.
In America, you don’t see much of that. But it’s really not that
different, in the end. People love tanning, but pretty much only
on white people. When I open fashion magazines, I hardly ever
have the privilege of seeing skin as dark as mine, let alone an
“ethnic” looking nose like mine, or bone structure like mine.
I’m not going to sugarcoat the reasons why this
is the case, because it’s just plain racism. And it’s
well-documented, too. British Vogue has had exactly
one black cover girl in the last twelve years, the beautiful
Jourdan Dunn, who herself has spoken out about racism
in the fashion industry, sharing experiences about shows
refusing to book black models and makeup and hair “professionals”
who refuse to work with dark skin and textured hair.
It’s wonderful that there are role models like
Jourdan Dunn for young women of color to look up
to, but even today, in 2015, it is hard for women of
color to open a magazine and be able to see ourselves there.
Fashion does not only belong to white people. It belongs
to everyone. That’s part of its beauty, that it is an art form
that everyone can take to their everyday lives. So why do
magazines and fashion shows tell such a different story?
Representation matters to little girls who open magazines
and spend their lives thinking they aren’t beautiful because
they don’t look like the girls there. It matters to young women
who would like to be in the fashion industry but can’t
see a place for themselves there. It matters to adults who
continue to have the fashion industry tell them every day that
they are not as beautiful or desirable as their white counterparts.
It’s taken a really long time and a lot of work for me to embrace
my dark skin, my ethnic features, and my Indian heritage, and
that’s really not fair. As women of color, we deserve better. We
deserve to have the world recognize that we are beautiful, too.
97

KYNE
SANTOS

FEATURED
WHILE MANY ARTISTS ABIDE BY a sense of
minimalism, Kyne Santos readily admits to having a flare
for the dramatic. With his work, he looks to create anything
larger than life. The idea of any art is to catch the viewer’s eye and to make
them feel something. With his dramatic styling, he executes this quite
well. Regarding his piece, “Beneath the Beauty,” he wanted it to feel like
seeing an optical illusion. The audience would feel a mixture of shock and
amazement. We asked him to speak a little about his influences, which
was heavily affected by our culture of consumerism and materialism.
“Makeup is a beautiful thing, but it is truly deceiving...not because it
masks an ugly face filled with blemishes, but because it can mask an
ugly heart filled with greed. And I know that sounds corny, but it’s true.
We too often idolize people and shame others based on shallow reasons.
I wanted to challenge people’s ideas of what it means to be beautiful.”
Santos is confident in his desire in continuing his makeup art and
challenging boundaries. He says that he has an interest in
investing more time in costume design, including headpieces and
appliqués. This will serve as a step in the direction of making
head-to-toe costumes, certainly the wow factor he is aiming for. He is
not as much concerned with who he will end up as, as much as he is
with what he is doing now and the immediate work he wants to create.
“Everybody wants to be successful, and that’s okay, but I think
hustling for success with tunnel vision will cause you to see your artistry as
business, and your art will be reduced to a routine. Try to remain
passionate and inspired and the rest comes naturally. There’s nothing
wrong with doing things for money, but I think the world is in need
of people who are not afraid to take risks and think outside the box.”
This is actually a trait he admires of one of his favorite artists named Ryan
Burke, who he regards as a visionary that has not allowed himself or his
work to be corrupted by fame. Another artist he points to for inspiring
creative direction in the photography of his work is Timothy Hung. His
use of angle and lighting has made him more aware of how he can use
these elements, ‘not just as a tool but as an artistic medium in itself.”’
Finally, Santos tells us he loves looking at drag queens as inspiration
too, as “they represent that ‘larger than life’ quality I always strive for.
Like RuPaul said, drag mocks identity. It is a reminder to stop taking
life so seriously, and to make the most out of your life by being the
wildest creation of your imagination, beyond social norms and standards.”
The larger than life quality is exemplified in what Santos describes as a
“beautifully awe inspiring and humbling” talk of the cosmos, a common
theme in his work. He has ideas based on both the rings of Saturn and
what life would look like on Jupiter, so don’t fret, there are definitely
more bonafide Kyne Santos pieces to look forward to in the near future.
103

FEATURED

TimothyPakron

D.I.Y.
DO IT YOURSELF
Bejeweled and Floral Face Masks
Materials:
1. Either Non-Toxic Standard Dust Mask or N95 Respirator Mask
2. Craft silk flowers (fabric is thin, be careful while gluing)
3. Faux Jewels (flatback crystals)
4. Hot Glue Gun (low heat works fine)
BEJEWELED FACE MASK: Lay the mask on a surface and hot glue the gems in a design using a spiraling motion, starting from the center
outwards. This will keep you from accidentally running out of space and having to overlap the next crystal. Note that the gems are stiff and
do not bend wtih the shape of the mask so make sure you do not squish the mask flat while working on sticking the pieces to the surface.
FLORAL FACE MASK: Repeat the first step with laying down the face mask before cutting off the stems of your craft flowers, keeping only the
leaves, buds and petals. Avoid gluing the petals because the fabric is generally too thin to cover the glue stains from beneath. Arrange until satisfied.
1. 2. 3.

Photography and Art by Cindy Chen
Models: Rachel Lloyd, Saima Lulu,
Alexandra Wright, Genoviva Coker

INDEX
FOLLOW OUR AU MAG
ARTISTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
ELIZABETH PETROU................@ELIZABETHPETROU
SHELBIE BARRON..................@SHELBIES_WORLD
ELLIE COSTELLO......................@MAKEUPISART_X
ERIKA MARIE NI BHRIRAIN....@ERIKAMARIEMUA
KRYSTAL HUANG.....................WEB: KRYSTALHH.CARBONMADE.COM
PARI ALEXANDER....................@PARIHELL
RYAN FAHERTY........................WEB: RYANFAHERTYART.COM
RYAN KELLY.............................@RYANKELLYMUA
KELSEY WEBER.......................@MAKEUPBYKELFEY
SHAUNA SHANKS..................@SHAUNAMAKEUP
SUSANN GRASSOW..............@SUSANNGRASSOW
NICOLE BARNETT....................@VIOLET.REBEL
MADELEINE HARIRIAN..........@MADELEINEHARIRIAN
ZOE BUTTERWORTH...............@ZOELLEN_ART
ACHRAF BAZNANI..................WEB: WWW.BAZNANI.COM
VIVAN WONG.........................@VIVIANHITSUGAYA
MARIA GRAZIA........................@OLDDOLLSSTILLPLAY
KYNE SANTOS........................@ONLINE.KYNE
TIMOTHY PAKRON.................WEB: WWW.TIMOTHYPAKRON.COM
FOLLOW ARTISTS UNKNOWN MAGAZINE ON INSTAGRAM:
@ARTISTSUNKNOWNMAG
TAG US AND YOU MIGHT WIN A FEATURE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE AND APPEAR ON OUR WEBSITE:
WWW.ARTISTSUNKNOWNMAG.COM
112

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Cindy Chen
MANAGING EDITOR
Dan McCarthy
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Alvin Ng
James Clark
Becky Martins
Iliana Tzikas
Summer Lin
Mahek Tulsiani
Amy Chen