Spring has Sprung

Which means I am hopping busy. So far March has featured back to back weekend conventions and travel to Virginia to see friends. I had a wonderful Easter Mini Photo Shoot with Culling Innovations where the Queen of Hearts showed up to teach Alice the fine art of Croquet in Wonderland. It would appear children may need a new way to get their eggs and candy. April brings with it some smaller local conventions which I hope to attend, but first Charles Townsend is filming a documentary about Women in Cosplay and we have an interview scheduled. After that Ocean City Maryland is hosting both the Ocean Reniassance Festival the  15&16th to be followed by a new convention of its kind. OC Animae will debut April 29 & 30th. I am hoping to be able to find time to check out both if my schedule permits.
Busy working on a new cosplay in preparation for my debut at TideWater Comiccon in Virginia Beach in May. So keep hopping.


Haunting Virginia

September 19 2022 -It is about this time of year every year so far that I have been spending alot of time in Virginia. I spent one weekend in Norfolk checking out the expanded  Tidewater Horror convention  and then just this pat weekend I was back at Hampton Roads for  the 2022 Haunted Screams Expo. True to form I brought costumes and did a little shopping amongst my merchant friends. I was unable to be part of the Monster On Makeup Wars challenge this year as my  makeup artist was away on assignment, but I did manage to bring home second place in the Adult Costume Contest. < Many thanks to Charles A Townsend for the amazing images he captured while at Haunted Screams.>This gives me just a few weeks to get together all the pieces I am making for Culling Innovations Halloween Mini Photo Shoot in Salisbury MD on October15th. But First...I have the distinct honor of having been asked to help with makeups for Farragut Forward a local ongoing Star Trek tribute  You Tube Film short being done locally. So Time to clean up my kit and polish up on my beauty skills. 


"Oh Look Another Glorious Morning. It Makes Me sick."- Winifred Sanderson Hocus Pocus

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

August 2022- So fall is finally here. That means I am kicked into high gear once again. Maryland Renaissance festival last weekend. This week I am on the road again to Norfolk VA for TideWater Horrorcon with a quick side trip to  check out this years Howl-O-Scream at BuschGardens Williamsburg. Still working on costumes for next weeks Haunted Screams in Hampton VA as well.  So busy but things keep squeezing into my jam packed schedule with a new special event I just got asked to help out on in Fredrick MD in October...Shh...mums the word for now..must not Jinx it. I have been getting some amazing conversations with a few local independent film makers and discussing their projects.  All this leading up to  my first trip to  FaerieCon in Baltimore in October and as quick trip to World Oddities..all before Halloween. Then there is the HUGE project I have been working on for my return to Ocean City Comicon once again in December. Never fear dear friends things are very active here @ Nightmares & Dayscreams. Can't forget to mention my true new collaborations with David Insley of Culling Innovations coming up in just a few weeks.  Time to get Spooky!! Many thanks to the one and only Father Evil for this stunning photo from our reunion at  Scares That Cares Charity Weekend 2022. 
 **I was So Thrilled to see that FatherEvil recieved a special recognition Award at the New Jersey Horror Film Festival  on September 17th and I truly wish I could have been there to celebrate his special moment with him. Well done my friend. You deserve it.** -xoxo


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Sweet Summer time Chaos

While most folks are winding down for summer vacation the life of a Makeup Artist is always ever changing. Already  there have been scheduling conflicts and  decisions to be made as to where to go and what to do with  Tidewater Comicon behind me. Next up is my return to  Farragut Forward being filmed with  Kaotica Studios & Farragut Films. There is a very hectic weekend shoot scheduled for June. This will be followed by a respite as I take time to reorganize and work on new projects. I will be once more doing free face painting for families during Salem united Methodist Church's July & August Block parties. Those are always full of  fun and creative challenges to create what the kids ask for quickly. Thankfully they are just having fun and  I have a wonderful friend working along side me whose Face painting style compliments mine.
August is a bit of a scheduling challenge as I would love to check out the Cosplay Richmond convention and my dream would be to be able to make it to Atlantic City NJ for at least one day of the NJ Horror Convention as my idol Ve Neil will be there and I would love to meet her in person- especially after  McKenzie Westmore's makeup challenges where she gave me honorable mentions for the Tim Burton inspired challenge. There is the chance however of one more session of  Farragut Forward happening that month as well as I had applied to see if I can attend Fairfax Comicon as a guest, but have not heard ore on either yet.
So you see while you relax and rest I plan, pack and pray. No rest for the wicked or weary and I am both.
IF you ever wonder what this life is like...I have already had a director reach out to me to inform me he wants me to do the hair and makeup for his cast of Kiss Me Kate to be put on in November 2024 and the great friends at Ocean City Comicon have told me that they want my panel back in  December 2024 as well. So even when there is tons of time...I still have to plan and watch the calendar closely.
PS. This does not even look at all my other conventions I look at and decide to go - guest or pass.. Remember my role walks the line between  Theater/Stage, Horror and Comic Fantasy Fiction so I am evergreen.  I am definitely going to once more be at Haunted Screams in Hampton VA , but I may have to pass up the Tidewater Horror Convention depending on filming schedules.
Heartfelt thanks to the crew of Incredible Conventions, AstraVoid Cosplay, The Monkey Rodeo, Mostly Dead.com and  Infected FX. All of them help me navigate the pitfalls of juggling this many balls at once. Looking forward to the chance to work side by Side with Megan Bradley FX as well. 

Have a great Summer time!

Rolling into the Summer Season

 Well after a busy Halloween season full of contests and  assignments things usually settle down for the winter ,but my growing list of contacts means that I am becoming more aware of other opportunities to showcase my work. I managed to conclude successfully two touring groups runs of Into the Woods and enter in several costume/makeup contests consistently placing in the top 5 in each event.
 As spring approaches my schedule tends to fill with both convention events and face painting opportunities which usually transition quickly into fall with yet more contests and possibilities. As a newer artist I welcome the changes as my assignments can range from simple face painting at craft fairs to costume and makeup competitions and seminars at conventions and duties with any one of the local theater companies as they need staff for hair/wigs and makeup.
 This fall will hopefully see the launch of my work in the new film Making Apes which is currently in post production.
I will keep you posted here.

Once Upon A Time....

September and October were a blur here. With preparations for Halloween festivities merged with the demands of rehearsals for a community l theatrical production of Into the Woods my time was in high demand. After months of long days and late nights the parties were done and  the show was a wrap. I learned alot and made new friends as I flexed my skills to include more hair styling and wig work along with traditional theatrical makeup. Of course my main tasks were helping off stage with the myriad of hair and makeup changes often needed quickly when characters shift roles. But I learned teamwork with the actors and the wardrobe staff really helps make a daunting task more manageable. My director was clear about what he wanted and what he needed changing but he also was open to my suggestions so we worked well. The wardrobe staff were great and most of my actors knew how to do much of their own stage makeup and hair with only suggestions from me. We did have to tweak some things as the show moved from rehearsal to performance but it was a great learning experience. 
My own character creations turned out well and I managed to fit in a few costume competitions which I placed well in. So I will keep working. Presently I am in a short respite before Holiday Character parades and Christmas Pageants begin. I had reached out to our local children's theater group as well for their production set to open in January. Wondering if I have truly overbooked myself, perhaps the  Junior theater may well not need me this show. That being said I am currently free to indulge in private projects or open to bookings after January 20th- until then Happy Holidays to one and all.
Michele