I love models. I love the way their bone structure causes light to fall differently on their face. I love they have to learn to communicate so much through their eyes, to tell the story you are trying to tell. I love how they can take on different looks and moods with just a change of styling. I love how they are aware photographically what to do with their bodies down to their toes. A model, to me, is a human canvas where we paint our stories. These are some photographs we made for MAKE cosmetics, I just love looking at her face.
We get many emails each day, but there are always those that stand out – ones from our clients, from our managers, or from family. And then there are those that just reach out and grab you for so many different reasons.
This initial email from Edythe was one of those. Here is a young model who has started her own foundation, Project Model Tee, and was asking our help to spread awareness and invite you all to their next event May 9th. Learning about her initiative I was taken aback by how someone so lovely on the outside could be so beautiful on the inside. Visions of ethereal beauty poured into my mind and I asked her if we could create a series of photographs inspired by just that and accompany it with an interview about this very endearing project.
How long have you been modeling?
Six and a half years! It’s crazy to me. I was scouted at a mall in a small town in Ohio and three weeks later I was in New York City.
What inspired you to start Project Model Tee?
At first it was personally inspired – I’ve been given so much by this industry, and I wanted to give back. All these opportunities have been given to me, and I am so grateful.
So the idea that came to me was giving models a platform to showcase their art. Modeling involves being creative and artistic, but in addition to that, many models are artists outside of their jobs. Unfortunately, a lot of them devalue their own creative skills because they feel they don’t know enough or couldn’t make a living from it.
We wanted to create a place where they could learn, develop their art, and eventually show it. I’ve been so inspired by my peers and I want to give them that safe space to develop their own creative outlet.
The idea came 3 years ago, and we officially launched in October 2012.
The great thing is the shows are possible to do with very little money – we have a lot of community support, so we can get food donated and drinks donated. Last show we had twelve model artists that donated work. This upcoming show is nine fine artists and three musicians. It’s so exciting!
I’ve been very inspired recently with old masters paintings: Vermeer, The Frick, and simplifying my beauty routine. When Chelsa & I discussed this we loved the idea of forgoing the dramatic eye and focusing only on a strong lip. No mascara! How fresh it looks to me; now her eyes remind me of all those souls in the beautiful paintings I’ve been lost in recently…
Here’s a step by step tutorial using MAKE cosmetics to get the look!
Step 1: Brush Alabaster all over the lid, but not quite to the eyebrow.
Every time I’m out and about in the city these days I’m looking for colors of spring, anything to erase the grey memories of winter. My beautiful friend Chelsa (who was also running in the marathon in Boston that day and was receiving her medal when the bombs went off) came by the studio to be my springtime muse. A palette of pinks, something soft and pretty, a reminder of how delicate we are like the flowers that bloom.
Here’s a step by step tutorial using MAKE cosmetics to get the look!
Step 1: Sweep Santa Fe all the way over the eyelid, but not quite to the brow.
The story of two artists living and working together, as told from the perspective of photographer Jamie Beck — the places we go, the images we imagine, and the world we create from our work space in lower Manhattan, Ann Street Studio. Here is our creative life, From Me To You.
