This week in makeup class I was assigned the task of designing makeup for a real character. I choose Mrs Meers from the play Thoroughly Modern Millie because she is over the top, and makes for interesting makeup choices. Her character is a retired actress who is white, but is now… Read More »Character makeup: Mrs Meers of ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’
Today I’ve added two new paintings to the Illustration gallery. This set of two was designed for my advertising illustration class to appear on bottles of wine. Our assignment was to come up with two different wine labels, done in a comparable style, that features two different animals: one for… Read More »Paintings for Wine Labels: The Walrus and Penguin
This semester I am enrolled in a stage makeup class. I think this class ties in nicely with my quest to find out how and why people alter their appearances; with stage makeup the goal is often to look like someone else through the application of heavy make-up. This week,… Read More »Stage Makeup: Middle age
Today I have spent a considerable amount of time going over the Galleries on Shaunart.net and re-structuring them to be easier to use, better looking, and more informative. Check out the Artwork Page to see the changes that I have made there, and while you’re at it, poke around in… Read More »Added a New Gallery
Today was my second day in Stage-makeup class where I applied makeup to my face. Today’s goal was to play with my features and make myself look like someone else. This makeup may look strange in a photograph, but from far away (like you would be if you were in… Read More »Stage Makeup: Altering the Face (as in I don’t normally look like this)
Longest title ever. Right! So incase you missed it on the cosplay pages, last weekend I attended The Great New England Steampunk Exhibition (TGNESE). As with any convention that I attend, I wrote a thourough and honest review, posted here, and wore a two newly completed steampunk ensembles, seen here,… Read More »Incase you missed it: review of TGNESE, New Steampunk Outfit, and NC pictorial contribution.
By Shauna Leva Hair is a badge that distinguishes you from others. It has always been that way. You may not even realize that your hair, like so many other elements about your appearance tells the world what group of people you belong to. You might think I’m just stereo-typing,… Read More »All About Your Hair: What it means, how it got that way, and what it says about you.
I honestly forgot that I took these pictures. I moved back into school the day after the storm and there just wasn’t time to upload them at the time, and I just rediscovered them on my memory card. Fortunately there was not a lot of damage to private property on… Read More »A little late, but….Damage During Hurricane Irene.
Decorated confectionaries with confectionary sugar.
This semester I am fortunate enough to participate in two coordinated independent studies on body adornment and modification throughout history and across cultures. As part of these independent studies, I will be writing (relatively…sort of…okay, not really) short blog-worthy articles on my findings. Posts will be located on my primary,… Read More »Two Independent Studies: How We Humans Adorn the Body
The River that runs through campus has flooded once again. And though this happens like every week, this time, flash flooding has claimed more than thirty cars. Public safety, which normally sends out an email to students to move their cars well before flooding occurs, did not do so, and… Read More »Flash Flooding at UHA
The Heritage Farm Pancake House is a beautiful, working farm and pancake house. Homemade pancakes came in several flavors, and are topped with real NH maple syrup. Yum! We chilled with the animals while we ate. They wandered free, but never once begged for our food. Real country charm, that… Read More »A Really Great (and Photogenic) Pancake House
So not too long ago I met the friendliest cow. She and her calf were hanging out by the edge of a fence at a farm near lake Winnisquam. I took the opportunity to get some great close ups. She really loved the camera; look at her pose! What a… Read More »A Very Friendly Cow
I love this picture so much, and am very proud of it. So I would like to revisit its beauty.
I took these photos while in the mountains of NH on Vacation.
Look! There’s a ghost in this one
My family and I spent a few days just South of Laconia, at a resort on a hill. Since I just got a new camera, I took lots of nice pictures. You can watch the slideshow, with bigger pictures here. If anyone wants one of the above photos for a… Read More »Vacation in the Mountains, Pictures Part One: Landscapes & Clouds
I just bought a new camera! It is a Nikon D3100, and it is absolutely wonderful. So far I have been nothing but impressed. Though DSLRs can be expensive, there is really no comparison between a camera like this, and even the best of point and shoots. I decided that… Read More »My Shiny New Nikon D3100 <3
Did you miss the Chihuly Exhibit at the MFA? Well its a good thing I took so many pictures then, isn’t it! Chihuly slideshow The work was absolutely amazing, and definitely lives up to all the hype, if you’re into sculpture. Chihuly’s work has been on display at the Museum… Read More »Chihuly Exhibit at the MFA Boston
I recently completed another commission for CD album art! Here is the finished packaging images. All the images and type were rendered digitally by me. You can find out more about the music and the artist at www.ronbrault.com
The other day I pretty much taught myself how make stuff out of real leather. Or at least, I began to teach myself. I’m sure there is a lot more to learn in order to master the materials, but the basics are pretty simple! So, I bought a very small… Read More »Leather Working at Home: Simpler Than It Sounds
Read the full post and watch the videos of my interviews on the cosplay blog!
Last week was my first time ever at “Look What I made,” the functional, dishwasher safe version of “Plaster Fun Time.” At “Look What I Made” children and their guardians (or babysitters) can walk in anytime, select a ceramic piece to paint by hand, and a week later, pick it… Read More »Look what I made! No, really.
Nature produces all the most beautiful shapes and colors. I believe nothing that man can make will ever be as effortlessly beautiful as nature; therefore, why not use organic materials when decorating your living quarters? In this post, I am going to show you a few really, really easy ways… Read More »Using Nature to Decorate your Home
The long awaited X-men Photoshoot from Connecticon 2011 has been posted to the cosplay blog, here. Along with the photoshoot, I have completed and published the new X-23 costume page, which details how I made my costume, and showcases the best pictures taken of my creation… Read More »X-men Photoshoot and X-23 costume page are up!
The photographer that shot our X-men photoshoot at Connecticon 2011 said that the pictures should be ready to post in a day or two!! I am very excited to see how the shoot turned out, and will post them on my cosplay blog as soon as I have them. I… Read More »Update on Connecticon pictures and Videos yet to come.
Connecticon 2011 was pretty awesome. Want to know how awesome? Then read my full review on the cosplay pages. Click Here to Read Full Review Tell me what you thought of the con in the comments if you wish. 😀
So I know the fourth was a week ago, but here are my fireworks photos from this year. Videos to come shortly. Aren’t they beautiful?
The first video is of individual fireworks exploding in the sky. Close up and colorful. The second is a portion of the grand finale of this particular fireworks display.
Here is a Commission that I recently completed for a local Real-estate Agency. They wanted three original paintings of one of their client’s homes. I like painting houses in watercolors because the softness of the paint helps to ease the hard geometry of the modern home. These portraits are quick,… Read More »Another Home Portrait Commission Complete.
New painting in the illustration gallery, done especially for the Renaissance Faire. This girl with the flowers in her hair was done in acrylic inks, watercolors, and colored pencils. I absolutely love celtic knotwork, and want to work more on decorative boarders and embellishing my work. This was the perfect… Read More »Girl with Flowers in Her Hair
I have added a new painting to the Illustration gallery, and it is my final oil painting from Spring semester 2011. Our task was to paint something related to the field of illustration that we think we may want to pursue. I’ve been thinking a lot about paper goods and… Read More »Owl painting
This year was my first time attending the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, held at Ye Old Commons in Charlton, MA. The faire has been in business for six years now, and has a small following of about 500 attendants on average each year. Unfortunately, due to weather and perhaps bad… Read More »Review of the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival 2011
I love to sew, sew so much! Whenever I get spare time, I want to sew. This week, I had a little free time, and so in the past two days I’ve made two new things to wear to the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival. One is a 16th century blouse,… Read More »Summer Crafting Part IV: Sewing
Another part of my jewelry making endeavor has been to make necklaces out of recycled bottle caps. These youthful, one-of-a-kind necklaces are all for sale on my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Shaunart I start with a bottle cap, currently all from alcoholic beverages. I clean them, and then fill them with pretty,… Read More »Summer Crafting Part III: Bottle Cap Necklaces
In preparation for the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival this June, I have been spending considerable time making jewelry by hand. I went to the library to look for ideas on things to make, when I stumbled upon a book on Celtic knot-work. I have always thought that knot-work is absolutely… Read More »Summer Crafting Part II: Celtic Knotwork
This summer I am going to be doing a lot of crafting, especially because I will be selling at a Renaissance Faire. To start the summer off, I have been making jewelry, and some of that jewelry has involved natural gemstones which are thought to have medicinal properties. The idea… Read More »Summer Crafting Part 1: Gemstone necklaces
For anyone who follows my costume work, the long awaited pictures from the Howl’s Moving Castle photoshoot are in. You can view the full shoot on my cosplay blog, here. I’ve also updated the Sophie Hatter costume page with more pictures.
To the 2011 graduating class of Burlington High School (MA), I am offering to hand-paint graduation caps for only $15 After a personal consultation with you, I will paint your name, and one accessory item that represents you on your graduation cap in water-proof, scratch-resistant acrylic paint. Are you a… Read More »BHS Graduation Special
Gah. I just had my wisdom teeth out, so I haven’t been able to do anything fun or productive for days. I’m starting to feel a little bit better, so here’s an update on my artistic life. I am all signed up to sell at a merchant booth at the Silver… Read More »Set to Sell at the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, June 2011
Our newly formed cosplay group, Meta Cosplay, had a wonderful time being interviewed by Nerd Caliber . Watch the video below or follow the link to their site. To see more on my Sophie costume, visit the page!
Here is the first assignment from my oil painting class. Our task was to define an alter-ego for ourselves, and to paint our likeness on this fantasy identity. I decided that my alter-ego would be an exotic snake charmer, hiding from the dessert sun in her lavish arabian, or maybe… Read More »Alter-ego: The Snake Charmer
Graphite illustration from the Hunch Back of Notre Dame. Quasimodo has saved Esmerelda from being hanged, and brought her to the cathedral under the law of sanctuary. The Truands then charge the cathedral in an attempt to save Esmerelda. However Quasimodo thinks that they want to hurt Esmerelda, so he… Read More »Hunchback of Notre Dame