Theatrical/creative make-up artist Deeleah Davis is living the words of American poet Robert Frost: "When work becomes play, and play becomes your work, your life unfolds."She is excited to showcase what she loves doing best–fantasy and special effects make-up–at The T&T Hair & Beauty Trade Show, which highlights the latest hair and beauty trends in the industry, at the Radisson Hotel, on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. The much-anticipated event began yesterday and Davis' talent will be on display tomorrow.
Speaking at the Sunday Guardian's offices on Tuesday, the new theatrical/creative special effects make-up tutor at Ephraim Hunte International Makeup Academy, in Diego Martin, said: "I've been painting professionally for the past six years with my company, Deeleah's Face Painting And Body Art. Being known mainly with the face and body art, I decided to get my experience and proper training with beauty and this genre of make-up at Ephraim Hunte's.
"While doing it I just enjoyed it and was able to understand its nuances, and it really helped to transfer into my face and body painting that I need to pay a little more attention to detail."At school I realised that I was really and truly in my comfort zone and element with fantasy and theatrical make-up."
She said she was enjoying her beauty make-up but because of her previous experience with face and body painting, her fantasy artwork became "unstoppable."Davis said the sky was the limit and she does not want to limit herself by being called a face painter only. She said while Carnival was a big event to market an artist's beauty, high-fashion, fantasy and avant-garde make-up, fantasy and theatrical make-up was a growing market in T&T.
She said body painting reality competition television shows such as Skin Wars and the prosthetic make-up competition show Faceoff were making a huge impact on the industry.Davis said the genre doesn't stop at beauty only, it goes straight into morphs, prosthetics, and total transformation of the subject.
She said it doesn't always have to be all blood and gore, it takes a different level of artistry like painting on a live canvas, the human body.Davis said the Airports Authority and disaster management agencies hold accident simulation exercises which call for realistic accident and emergency make-up injuries. She said this was to add that level of realism to the drills, and the artists had to do research on wounds, such as what fresh wounds and blood look like.
Davis said besides Carnival make-up, Halloween was becoming the new "in" thing in T&T. Davis said at children's face painting events, adults also lined up to have their faces painted. They love her style and the way she paints, she said–her intricate designs are highly developed and she uses vivid colours.
According to Davis, there were different mediums for paint depending on the effect the artist wanted to achieve and the purpose of the make-up, such as full-body make-up. Some of her more memorable face painting events included being hired by Smokey and Bunty during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina and Guardian Media Ltd's Boundary Lime Promotion of the CPL Final 2014 at IMAX in August 2014.
Davis can be contacted at 785-0266.