(continued)
Before I tried doing make ups, I built life-size corpses that I displayed in my yard on Halloween.
When I was 10 years old, I bought the
Dick Smith "Do it Yourself Monster Makeup Handbook". At 11, I started taking
a Last
Looks Makeup Academy class in NYC with
instructor Tom Surprenent, an amazing Emmy Award winning makeup artist. Tom taught me the techniques of fabricating and applying prosthetic
makeups, applying baldcaps, trauma and injury, airbrush and old age makeups. Tom has been a big inspiration for me and continues to be a great
teacher and friend.
After completing Tom's courses, I enrolled in Dick Smith's advanced professional makeup course. I continue to put in long hours working on foam
formulations, advanced mold making, and sculpture in my home studio that
my father and grandfather build in our basement. Dick is an extraordinary
mentor and role model. He is always willing to help and shares his knowledge openly. After all his years in the business, his passion for make
up and enthusiasm for helping people succeed is amazing. It was because of Dick, that I got an apprenticeship with Jon Dods. Like Dick, I have no
words to describe how helpful Jon has been. Because of Jon, I was able to work on the hit Broadway show The Christmas Carol starring F. Murray
Abraham. For this show, I did numerous sculptures and Epoxy molds for the Ghost of Jacob Marley, played by Paul Kendel. That was an remarkable
experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am indebted to Jon Dods and Dick Smith for giving me that opportunity to use and build my
skills.
Fortunately, I have been able to attend the International Makeup Artists Trade Show for the last 2 years. The Trade Show gave me the
opportunity to personally meet all the experts in the field like KazuTsuji, Jill Rockow, Rick Baker, Kenny
Myers, Jordu Schell, Greg Cannom and Kevin Haney just to name a few. It also gave me the chance to meet Scott
and Eric Heinly from PPI who have been very helpful and encouraging along the way. Without Jill Rockow's friendship and generosity, I never would
have had these opportunities and experiences. I feel extremely lucky to have a friend like Kazu Tsuji. He is very much
like Dick Smith with his willingness to offer advise, and openly share his
techniques and enormous talent.
I always enjoy working with the very best products and people in the industry. Without a doubt, PPI develops and manufactures the most
leading-edge products available. The products are easy to use and the service and support Scott, Eric and all the staff provide is superb. I am
lucky to be able to apply countless test makeups on my father who has very sensitive skin. I also enjoy trying all the new PPI products when they
come out. My favorite PPI products are the Telesis Silicone adhesives
because they are very forgiving, easy to work with and they are also great on the appliance edges.
My Future Goals
I hope to become a respected professional makeup artist and work in the industry with the all the artists I have mentioned. My greatest hope
is to one day own and operate a studio like Rick Baker, Greg Cannom and Stan Winston.
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