Hi again!
It’s been a long, long time since I put a blog post together. I’ve been just busy working away.
Currently I’m on the set of a Papa John’s commercial. In commercial work there is usually some
downtime, and, if I can, I’d like to take advantage of it by trying to get in a quick blog post.☺
Since you last heard from me:
I’ve had my 11th cover with Avenue magazine.
One of the photographs I did makeup for, taken by Daniel Wood, of our premier Rachel Notley, was awarded silver for photography in People & Portraiture at the Alberta Magazine Awards. My separate works with Curtis Trent, Cory Johnn, & Curtis Comeau were also nominated this year.
I was invited to the ACE awards where some of my work with DDB was awarded as well. It was so cool to be at an event where I thought I wouldn’t know anyone, and it turned out that I’d worked with more than half the ad agencies in Edmonton. I ended up having a great time visiting with clients and friends I’ve made over the years in my work.
I’ve been working hard with Eveline Charles in creating a virtual learning, online version of my level one makeup course (which I still teach at the academy). It’s been quite an experience and more work than any of us anticipated, but it’s looking really good and coming along. So if you’re someone who has always wanted to learn more about the basics of makeup but don’t live near the bricks and mortar of a facility, this course can be taken anywhere in the world.
I’m still privileged to work closely with Vue Weekly & Meaghan Baxter on their style & trend pieces. In fact, I was asked to be in a style feature for Vue Weekly magazine, where I had to be in front of the camera. https://www.vueweekly.com/seasonal-update-local-pros-weigh-in-ontrends-for-spring/
I had the cool opportunity to weigh in on this season’s blue makeup runway trend when my girl Julia Lipscombe was writing an article for the Edmonton Journal. I found myself again in front of the camera when they sent a photog to shoot me at my home studio doing makeup focused on that trend. https://edmontonjournal.com/life/into-the-blue-80s-makeup-trend-is-back
My volunteer initiative with Sorrentino’s Compassion House has finally commenced after months of talk and preparation. I go once a month and
do makeup appointments with the women staying there during their cancer treatments.
My relationship as a freelance artist with MAC Cosmetics has grown and become stronger. They’ve sent me two rounds of product support (20 products) for using their product on certain
jobs. They were also able to donate a huge amount of products for my volunteer initiative at the Compassion House. Thank you MAC for supporting the artist community!
My relationship with the couple I spoke about in my M.I.A blog post has been completely repaired as I was able to do his hair, makeup, and styling on the house for his Top 40 under 40
placement with Avenue Magazine. They also came to see me for Halloween makeup! Congratulations to them on their recent engagement!!! Major hot couple alert. ☺
Not everything has been amazing however, I started the year by being on the receiving end of a lay off with CTV. I had been doing makeup for Alberta Primetime for about two years when, back
in December, the show itself felt some major cuts in staff. Unfortunately makeup was one of those cuts.
At first it was very upsetting to lose that job and I struggled to be optimistic, for about 5 minutes, and then I decided that worrying about it was was not going to change anything. It was just making me feel like crap and stressing me out more. I took a step back and looked at the bigger picture, and realized that in the first few years of being an ‘Independent Business Princess’ (or an ‘IBP’ as I like to call myself) I hadn’t had any major set backs. Things had been going pretty smoothly, so I figured I was probably due for a challenge.
If I had let losing my job with CTV set the tone for 2016 I might not have had so many cool things to update you on. So as I’ve said before ‘A door has closed on me. Now I gotta bust open that fucking window and get my ass to work.’
This year optimism, determination, gratefulness and joy are my focus & so far so good!
P.s If you’re still reading this, thank you, I appreciate it.
Xoxo A