Category: Wearable Artwork

The Only Way Forward

8/26/2020

I have been quite busy with building masks since early March, and I find it is taking real effort for me to transition from masks only, back to my artwork, or even to a combination of masks-and-artwork. I have been proud to join so many fellow artists in contributing my time, skills, and supplies to fighting the pandemic, and narrowing the gaps in our national PPE supply. But also, building masks has been soothing to my nerves, in a way that nothing else has been, since everything changed.

I can get lost in building masks, in the same way I can get lost in quilting. There is something unique about sewing that brings me into the present moment, even when the work is frustrating (as it frequently is!). Maybe the act of sewing helps me feel connected to my ancestors. Perhaps working in tandem with thousands of other artists, with the same medium and in the same cause, helps me feel connected to the better side of humanity. And then, there is something about building a garment especially for another person, that creates a unique personal connection, as well.

Maybe connection is what it's all about. In pandemic, in this time of physical distancing and canceled events and, for me, strict self-quarantine; in times like these, it is instinctual to seek out human connection. Homo Sapiens are, after all, pack animals. We are more likely to survive when we work together. The urge to connect is, at its heart, a survival instinct. It is becoming increasingly obvious that, without realizing it, we have become dangerously instinct-injured as a pack: Technology, politics, racism, classism, sexism, hate --These things so divide us, that we are unable to stand together.

Pandemic is sharpening us up a bit. Well, most of us, anyway. For the rest; please consider that you are part of a community, and your actions directly affect others. Please wash your hands. Wear your masks. Keep your distance. And love your neighbor. Practice compassion. We can beat this virus if we all work together.

The only way forward is together. Together, or not at all.

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Dia de los Muertos 2018

10/28/2018

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For many years now, models Brenda Lucero and Lucy Cruz have been including Todd and me in their annual celebrations of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This year's collaborations were both managed and directed by Lucy and Brenda, who handled all of the research, scheduling, wardrobe, accessories, props, and design themselves. All I had to do this year was paint, and edit. Saved me a lot of energy. Thank you Brenda and Lucy!

This year was especially fun because I got to paint Brenda's daughters. They both did great on set, and I had a blast working with them.

Photographer Todd Powers * Sugar Skulls Jen Raven
Editing Jen Raven & Todd Powers
Wardrobe & Hair Brenda Lucero
Direction & Design Lucy Cruz

I love these kids so much --and so does the camera!

I love the way these girls love each other. At one point Todd caught some beautiful shots of them playing on set. These are my favorites of the entire shoot.

This year's DdlM shoots were also special because they included photographer Fortino Alvarez --in front of the camera, for a change, rather than behind it.

Photographer Todd Powers * Sugar Skull Jen Raven
Editing Jen Raven & Todd Powers
Models Lucy Cruz and Fortino Alvarez
Direction, Design, Wardrobe Lucy Cruz

Model Brenda Lucero knocked it out of the park this year, with her powerful and personal tribute to her beloved Aunt Rosie, who recently passed away. Brenda sketched out an original design for her Sugar Skull, which included the dandelions art that Brenda and I have been using in our ongoing series, "Fly Away Home."

Slideshow of "Fly Away Home" can be viewed in my Forward Motion Gallery.

Brenda shared with us her fond memories of playing BB guns with Aunt Rosie, on her Grandparent's ranch. Rosie loved all of her nieces and nephews, enjoyed playing with them and loved to spoil them. Brenda asked us if it would be ok to include BB guns as props, in Rosie's memory. Also especially for Rosie, we included extra roses, her Father's Sombrero, and a rose ring, gifted to Brenda from Rosie eleven years ago.

Sometimes these shoots make me tear up a little. They are so personal and beautiful. I am honored to be included in these lovely tributes.

Photographer Todd Powers * Sugar Skull Jen Raven
Editing Jen Raven & Todd Powers
Model Brenda Lucero * Direction, Design, Wardrobe, Properties Brenda Lucero

Thank you Brenda, for allowing us to collaborate with you on such a personal project! We love you!

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The Bee Keepers: Clothed in Blue

2/27/2016

'Borderline'
Direction; Design; Backdrops; Wardrobe; Body Art Jen Raven
Photography; Lighting; Body Art; Editing Todd Powers
Makeup Design; Hair Styling Ande Castaneda
Concepts Model Aileth Bran
"The Bee Keepers" Project; Venetus Series
Collaborative Concept Photography

We share our planet with nearly 20,000 known species of bees. Study of these creatures continues to reveal further connections between bees and people; Humanity does not stand apart from these petite wonders of our natural world. We rise and fall, together.

Partnerships between humans and bees attest to this reality. Our symbiotic relationships with the bees has evolved over thousands of years, and it is commonly stated; if they go, we go. As pollinators, bees are vital in our massive efforts toward food production, a fact we understand only too well, in California’s Central Valley. Habitat loss, rising temperatures, varroa mites, neonicotinoids and other pesticides --such combined factors threaten the stability of bee populations, increasing likelihood of Colony Collapse Disorder, and thus threatening food production --threatening our own populations, in turn.

We seek to highlight the connections between humans and bees, through this collection of fanciful chimeras, hybrid bee-human inceptions incorporating visual elements which speak to the intimacy of humankind’s relationships with, and within, our natural world.

'Glitch'
Direction; Design; Backdrops Jen Raven
Photography; Lighting; Body Art; Editing Todd Powers
Concepts Model April Musick
"The Bee Keepers" Project; Venetus Series
Collaborative Concept Photography

Our 'Glitch' set is a focus on our damaged ecosystems, and the resultant experimentation with mechanized pollinators, which we might need to fill the gap created by bee colony collapse. Todd and I had a lot of fun playing with the visual elements; tilted, separated canvases to suggest a break in our ecosystems; heavy contrast paired with bleaching of colors, suggestive of interference/static; gear and circuit board body art for the robo-bees we may come to depend on, in the future.

'Regina' Set, March 2016
Direction; Design; Backdrop; Wardrobe; Body Art Jen Raven
Photography; Lighting; Body Art; Editing Todd Powers
Makeup Design; Hair Styling Ande Castaneda
Concepts Model Jessica Bertrand
"The Bee Keepers" Project; Venetus Series

So many test shoots in such a short time: Our team has made a real effort, over these last nine months, to learn new techniques and test new ideas with each shoot. We've come a long way! In order to further raise awareness about CCD, our team made the decision to show all of our in-progress work on social media; even when our tests didn't turn out as planned.

Behind-the-Scenes: Test Shoot 'Blue Bee Four'
with Todd Powers, Ande Castaneda, Jen Raven, Aileth Bran

Blue Bee Test: December 2015
Photographer Todd Powers
Body Art Todd Powers, Jen Raven
Backdrop Jen Raven
Model Aileth Bran
MUAH Ande Castaneda

The Bee Keepers: An ongoing collaborative project in conceptual photography
Series One: Venetus (“clothed in blue.”)

Contributing Artists:

Jen Raven (Direction; Design; Backdrops; Wardrobe; Body Art) is an artist in acrylics, assemblage, and the performance arts. She holds a degree in English Literature; her awards include an Arts in the Community Grant from the Arts Council of Kern, and three consecutive Empty Space Awards for Best Gallery Exhibit. Raven has most recently exhibited with Bunny Gunner Gallery, Claremont; The Gallery at the LRC, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine; and Cactus Gallery, Los Angeles. http://www.jenraven.com

Todd Powers (Photography; Lighting; Body Art; Editing) is a concepts photographer with a fine arts background. He studied printmaking, figure-drawing, painting and sculpture at Bakersfield College. Powers has exhibited his photography with Loft Beats, Pomona; Erns Lab, Upland; and with The Gallery at the LRC, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. His work has been published in Bakotopia Magazine, The Bakersfield Californian, and Fashion Bombshell. http://toddpowersphotography.weebly.com/

Ande Castaneda (Makeup Design; Hair Styling) is a Bakersfield native, working in Southern California. A self taught makeup artist and formally trained photographer, she also holds four various certifications, two Associate's degrees, and is working toward her first Bachelor's degree in English, as well as her Cosmetology license. Her work can be seen in music videos, blogs, movies, and magazines internationally. http://www.andecastaneda.com/

Jessica Alicia Bertrand (Model) lives and works in Southern California. She is best known for her work as a Tattoo Model, though she is adept in various genres, including Art, Nude, and High Fashion. Jessica's recent publications include Tattoo Erotica (International) Magazine, and a book, "The World's Best Tattoo Models" (Akos Banfalvi). Her performance works include The Rendezvous event, several music videos, and a short fan film, "Camp Crystal Lake," Directed by Rickey Bird. Quality time with family is a priority in Jessica's life. In addition to modeling and family, Jessica works full time as a Neuro Rehab Specialist.
To book Jessica for modeling, film, or event: email [email protected]
Jessica on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessicaaliciabertrand .

Aileth Bran (Model) is a Art/Alternative model living in Bakersfield CA, where she collaborates with many locally-known fine artists, including Todd Powers, Alex Castaneda, Jen Raven and Crysco Nabisco. Her most recent public appearances include the HeArts and Hair for Down Syndrome Runway Show with Atomic Kitten Salon at The Nile, Bakersfield, Oct. 2015. Her work has been published in Project OH! and in Surreal Beauty, Magazines. In addition to modeling, Aileth is an emerging fine artist in acrylics, a four-time participant in the Mental Health Art Show, Bakersfield, and she is currently seeking her tattoo apprenticeship.
Aileth's Modeling Portfolio: http://thegirlwiththewhitehair.tumblr.com/
Fine Art Portfolio: https://www.facebook.com/AilethBran/.

April Musick (Model) is a fine arts model living and working in the Central Valley. She works as a figure model through Project OH! Magazine, in addition to interning for the publication at their local office. April collaborates routinely with many locally-known fine artists, including Todd Powers, Alex Castaneda, and Rusty Hatfield, whose work can be seen from Las Vegas to Dubai, UAE. When April isn't modeling, she enjoys spending time with animals, gardening, and practicing yoga. You can see her collaborative work with other artists at behance.net/rustyhatfield

'Bloom'
Direction; Design; Backdrop; Wardrobe; Body Art Jen Raven
Photography; Lighting; Body Art; Editing Todd Powers
Makeup Design; Hair Styling Ande Castaneda
Concepts Model Jessica Bertrand
"The Bee Keepers" Project; Venetus Series
Collaborative Concept Photography

Our first series in this project, Venetus, is so named for “The color of our planet from far, far away,” to borrow from Regina Spektor. ‘Blue Lips’ was playing, as I was in studio one evening, sketching bees. “Blue. The Most Human Color” stuck in my mind like a mantra, and continued to persist as the project took shape. Our creative team began lighting tests on various body art concepts, late summer 2015, and the project began to evolve from there.

Blue Bee Test: December 2015
Photographer Todd Powers
Body Art Todd Powers, Jen Raven
Backdrop Jen Raven
Model April Musick

Chimara Test: September 2015
Photographer Todd Powers
Body Art Todd Powers, Jen Raven
Model April Musick

It's been especially fun working with model Jessica Bertrand, who discovered she was pregnant, only weeks into the project! Jessica cheerfully agreed to continue working with us, and allow us to capture her gradual transformation, which is wonderful visually and works so well with our project's theme. More sets with Jessica will be released as the project continues.

Safe With Me Test: October 2015
Photographer Todd Powers
Body Art Todd Powers
Wardrobe Jen Raven
MUAH Ande Castaneda
Model Jessica Bertrand

Dressed in Yellow Test: September 2015
Photographer Todd Powers
Body Art Todd Powers
Wardrobe Jen Raven
MUAH Ande Castaneda
Model Jessica Bertrand

Most of my individual work in body painting has lately been themed upon bees, as well. I'm hoping to incorporate some of my traditional brushwork into a future set, in our Bee Keepers series. Stay tuned!

Thank you, Bee Keepers test models: Lucy Cruz; Brenda Lucero; Jessica Franco; Solstice Henna; Jasmine Cervantes; Kaitlin Elisabeth; Theresia Amber; Aileth Bran. Photos by Todd Powers.

Tiny Treasures X

11/5/2015

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So many good things in progress right now --Yay!

It's been an especially busy week at The Raven's Nest; we continue to work through photo tests of body painting and costumes for our ongoing project, The Bee Keepers. In addition to this, I am delighted to report that I will be joining Cactus Gallery's annual tiny works exhibit, "Tiny Treasures X." Exhibit runs November 14 through December 23.

For this exhibit, I've created a new body of tiny works, titled "In Life." I've borrowed this title from the quote, "In life, we are in death;" I am always appreciative of this reminder to live each day to the fullest. These are functional artworks --wearable hair and clothing accessories which have bar pins and/or alligator clips on back.

Also for this exhibit at Cactus Gallery, I've added three new tiny works to my ongoing series, "Flight."

I am a lifelong fan of the works of Roald Dahl. My tiny work "A Golden Phizzwizard" is a nod to Dahl's "The BFG." If you have not read about The Big Friendly Giant, pick up a copy and read it with your kids; it's terrific fun!

"A Golden Phizzwizard" measures 3x3" and has a sawtooth hanger on back.

Also for "Tiny Treasures X" are works "We Get By (with a little help from our friends)" and also "Guess What (chicken butt!)."

"We Get By (with a little help from our friends)" measures 4.5x3.5" and has a sawtooth hanger on back. "Guess What (chicken butt!) measures 2.5x3" and also has a sawtooth hanger:

Included, in this busy week; Todd and I have been working with our neighbor, Terri, and with model Aileth Bran, to find homes for two scrappy little survivors we've dubbed Zack and Dragon:

Above: Model Aileth Bran wearing a creation by Jen Raven, and posing with kittens Dragon (orange, left) and Zack (brown, right).

Their mother was a feral; the litter was abandoned; a stray dog attacked the litter: Only two of the five kittens survived the attack --somehow they managed to escape unscathed, and Terri eventually found them, hiding in her grapevines. Terri is fostering them and providing for their Veterinary care; Todd and I have given them Dawn dish soap flea baths, as they were too young for flea medication; and we are now working with Terri to find forever homes for these adorable little fuzzbutts. Model Aileth Bran volunteered to pose with them, this week, in order to help us get the word out.

Model Aileth Bran wearing creations by Jen Raven, posing with kitten, Zack.

Both of these adorable kittens are five weeks old, male, and have had their first Vet visit and first shots. They are free of worms and fleas; their current foster, Terri, has pledged to pay for additional anti-parasite treatments AND will pay to have them neutered, when they are old enough. If you would like to meet one of these little cuties, and perhaps give him a forever home, please contact Terri at 661. 833. 2675. Thank you!

Below: Aileth Bran models "In Life" pieces, created by Jen Raven.

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An afternoon in Upland

8/21/2015

Selections from our concept photo series Pas de Berlin are now on exhibit with Erns Lab, a new arts space in Upland! Also on exhibit are several of my recent acrylic works, and my creepy creatures in cages.

Erns Lab, the latest brainchild of artist Erns Valdez, is an eclectic creative environment, offering a photography studio, equipment rental, and studio space. The Lab will also be hosting classes, workshops and small private shows and events.

The Captain. The Bat. The Lab.
Artists Erns Valdez and Todd Powers

Erns, an award winning gallery director (and producer of the Mindclouder Music Festival) has recently relocated his arts business from Pomona to Upland. His last arts space, Loft Beats, was voted 'Best Gallery in the I.E.' two years running by Inland Empire Weekly. We loved working with Loft Beats in Pomona, and we believe Erns Lab will prove an equally rewarding experience.

This exhibit will run now through September 24, and every Thursday Erns Lab is open for the Farmer's Market in Historic Downtown Upland, so if you're in the area, be sure to check it out!

Stay tuned for more on our collaborations with Erns; we've got big plans for the future!

Forward Motion

2/21/2015

On February 20th, as part of my exhibit with UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, I gave a talk to the students, in the Gallery at the Learning Resource Center. Below, are some of the notes from my talk, re-worked into a blog. Photos of the talk, portfolio photos of my artwork, and work from our Pas de Berlin series are courtesy of Todd Powers.

My name is Jen, I am a professional artist, and I live with Lupus and Fibromyalgia.
I became symptomatic at age sixteen; I was diagnosed at twenty-seven, and I have since spent the last ten years learning how to navigate a relationship with my illness.

That it is a relationship, or that it can be seen in that light, is a fairly new concept for me; in the early years following diagnosis, I approached Lupus more as a battle to be fought, and initially this was helpful to me (it’s far better to fight, than it is to simply give up). But recently, I’ve been learning how to engage this facet of my life in a more productive manner.

I continue to be surprised at how helpful it actually is --helpful for me and for those around me-- to actively engage this subject: It is helpful to paint about my illness, write about it, talk about it, create conversations about all the ways this illness influences my life and my choices on every level.

For too many years, I’d deliberately avoided doing any of that --Lupus was already taking so much of my time, and I resented it. Lupus had already stolen so much of what used to be my life, and I was angry about it. I wasn’t willing to give her anything she wasn’t already taking from me, by force. I didn’t even want to talk about it.

It took me a long time to see the extent to which my relationships with my illness reflected my relationships with myself, right down to the avoidance, the anger, and the resentment. I realized then, that I had a lot more to work on than just the physical aspects of chronic illness: I needed to do more work on myself, as a person --and along the way I discovered that doing this kind of work, to better myself emotionally, resulted in my doing better, physically. Intrigued, I continued along these lines, and have since continued to improve.

Through my work (painting, writing, assemblage, and collaborations), I began to explore the ways my illness was re-shaping, and forcing me to more closely examine, all of my relationships --with my body, within my mind, and also, my relationships with others.

My relationship with my body

‘The Lines Unread’ belongs to my Silence series. This body of work examines the ongoing transformations in my life, and my work, as a result of living with Lupus and Fibromyalgia.

The works in this series are all mixed-media; inclusions of graphite and ink are particular allusions to loss of function in my hands. Before my illness, pencil and pen were my tools of choice; as my illness progressed, use of such fine instruments became more difficult and painful.

At that time, I let go of keeping a daily sketchbook and handwritten journal, and turned instead to more abbreviated art forms, which required less use of my hands --abstract sketches in crayon, and spoken word --performance poetry.

In addition to the figurative sketches in ink and pencil, many of the works in this series have my poetry written in pencil, ink, or both, beneath or between the layers of acrylic gesso and paint. ‘The Lines Unread’ is the title of my poem, within the painting, bearing the same name.

My relationship with my mind

'‘To Anger’ is part of my Dine-in,Take-out series. The origins of this series reside in a loose collection of abstract crayon sketches, created in 2004 and 05 --the time when my function was most impaired, and sketching often required controlling a single crayon with both hands. Economy of line was critical,

requiring me to work in more direct, less detailed, techniques. Such blunt visual communications left me little space to equivocate, and forced me to terms with emotions long interred, and issues which I had been previously unable to tackle with any honesty.

Lupus and Fibromyalgia forced me to stop --physically and mentally-- for the first time, in my life. Before chronic illness, I had not realized the extent to which I was being driven, by my own pain, anger, and avoidance. The crayon sketches helped me to work through some of that. In 2011, recreating the crayon sketches into paintings helped me to work through a bit more. Writing about this series, at the present, I find myself doing that work, yet again.

My relationships with others

‘The Fruits of Self-Compassion’ belongs to my ongoing narrative series, Reaching. Unlike the works of previous series, which look to the past, Reaching is firmly established in the present, with an eye to the future. The characters in this series express forward motion --reaching for that which is higher, within themselves and in their environments.

As visual elements, the exaggerated shapes and sizes of the hands in these works communicate the complicated relationship I have with my own hands: I no longer take my hands for granted.

I am keenly aware, day-to-day, of what my hands can do --I find myself carefully planning each day’s activities, and routinely mapping out entire weeks or even months in advance; I do this not only to make the best use of my hands, but also to allow for energy levels, mental acuity, and pain management.

There was a time when I didn’t think I’d ever regain function, especially not to this extent. I am deeply grateful for this, and always mindful of what it means, to have hands, and to be able to use them.

Also present in this series are themes of growth, from within. Each of the works in Reaching is inspired, in part, by a particular relationship in my life, which has endured and grown stronger in spite of, or because of, my illness. Life with chronic illness has taught me many valuable lessons, including who my true friends are, and what my true priorities have become. I have also learned how to ask for help; that has never been easy for me. More importantly, I've learned how to receive help --not the same thing.

Forward Motion

In addition to my ongoing solo projects in acrylics and assemblage, I've begun a series of collaborative concept photography projects, with fellow artists in various fields who also seek to tackle painful personal issues through their work.

These collaborations have been highly rewarding: Through these projects, we seek to encourage a determination, within ourselves as well as others, toward courage, healing, and forward motion.

Photos on exhibit with Forward Motion include selections from Pas de Berlin, a series in concept photography, spanning twelve months of collaborative work themed on a seven stage model of the grief and healing process.

The full series guides our viewers through eight different landscapes, breaking down the various stages of grief into visual elements, and creating a narrative of courageous recovery.

Currently on exhibit, are photographs from two of our eight separate sets: Efface, a dance terminology ('shadowed'), describes the frightening pain and guilt often referred to as the second stage of seven; Epaulement ('shouldering') explores the fourth stage --heavy feelings of sad reflection, isolation, and depression.

Pas de Berlin Contributing Artists:

Jen Raven ~ Creative Direction, Concept Artist, Costumes, Properties
Todd Powers ~ Photography and Editing
Ande Castaneda ~ Makeup and Hair Artist
Berlin ~ Dancer / Model

Special thanks to Ted Meyer, Artist in Residence at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine; and to LuAnn WIlkerson, Assistant Dean of Education, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.

Artist Jen Raven, and LuAnn WIlkerson, Assistant Dean of Education, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.

Epaulement and Avant

12/29/2014

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More photos from our 'Pas de Berlin' collaboration project, including the creation of Berlin's custom choker, cuff, and 'wings' which followed her through all three looks:

'Epaulement' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costumes, properties, accessories Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Creating the choker and cuff accessories for Berlin's costumes:

'Avant' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costumes, properties, accessories Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

We shot all three of these looks, on two different locations, in one day ~in truth, it was a very long day. To compliment the costume changes, MUA Ande Castaneda also created beautiful, unique concept makeups for each of the three separate looks:

As always, I had plenty of assistance from the Studio Cats:

Follow the links to see more photos from our 2014 'Pas de Berlin' collaboration:
'Danseuse' set
'Joyeux' set
'Coda' set
Behind the Scenes, 'Pas de Berlin'
About the Artists: 'Pas de Berlin'

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Evolution of a dress

12/13/2014

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'Danseuse' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
armor by Todd Powers * dress and shoes Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Preparation for the 'Danseuse' set of our 'Pas de Berlin' series began several months in advance of the shoot itself. One of my greater concerns was safety: I wanted Berlin to pose en pointe for at least part of this set, which was to be shot outdoors --not an easy task, on its own. To avoid possible injury to Berlin, we decided to lighten the weight of the dress, and shorten the hems (of all seven skirts) by seven or eight inches. It killed me, the thought of cutting up such a lovely dress!

Model Berlin tries the dress with the pointe shoes for the first time. We all agree; the dress is too long and heavy for pointe work, especially outdoors, on uneven ground. The hems must be sheared.

Flashback: Todd and I discovered this dress at a local Goodwill in 2007, and it's been a useful addition to the costume closet ever since --from the Kern River to the cover of Bakotopia Magazine, this dress has been there, done that.

photos by Todd Powers
models Jen Raven, Devin Riane, Jaden Snow

I was loath to cut up such a pretty dress, and wanted to pull a few more great shoots out of it, before getting out the scissors. We asked model Lucy Cruz to do a final shoot with Todd, and I also asked Ande Castaneda to get a shoot in, with model Berlin.

Kern River Shoot
photographer Todd Powers
model Lucy Cruz

After Lucy and Todd were done with the Kern River shoot, the dress was beyond filthy. We gave it a hot shower, then soaked it in the tub with boiling water, laundry detergent, and oxy-clean. After repeated rinses, we wrangled the soaking dress onto a custom Berlin-shaped dress form, to dry. We had created the custom form a few weeks prior:

For our purposes, we made some changes to the recommendations given in this Threads tutorial. We used crumpled newsprint instead of poly-fill, for example. And we fitted a length of PVC pipe in the center, before closing it up at the base.

After the dress dried on the form, it was sparkly-white and fit Berlin's waist like a glove. One more shoot with the pretty dress, as-is, before the alterations:

Thank you, Ande!
Chaise Lounge Shoot
Photographer and MUAH Ande Castaneda
Model Berlin

A lot of work went into the alterations. Close to ten inches came off the hems (all seven hems), and even more came out of the front left side. I airbrushed the dress using fabric paints, and sewed nearly a dozen silk flowers just above the cut. We decided to paint the pointe shoes white, so that they would show up better on camera. After some experimenting with different paints on an older pair, I decided on Wolfe FX body paint in white; it performed the best out of all the paints I had to hand.

Day of shoot: Todd and Berlin nailed it. Our months of preparation totally paid off, and I was doing a happy dance behind the scenes.

'Danseuse' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
armor by Todd Powers * dress and shoes Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Behind-the-Scenes video of model Berlin, directed and produced by Ande Castaneda

Just before the opening for 'Pas de Berlin' at the TES Gallery, Todd further altered the dress and armor, to fit Lucy Cruz, who modeled the costume at the reception. He added black fabric paint to the dress, and new armor fittings.

Pas de Berlin Reception Shoot
Photographer Todd Powers
Model Lucy Cruz
Armor by Todd Powers

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Evolution of a skirt

11/28/2014

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Leading up to our shoot in Cambria, I had been working on this skirt, on and off, for over a year. And what a fantastic end result! With the right model, MUA, and photographer, a year of piecing and sewing is made well worth the effort.

'Joyeux' set, 'Pas de Berlin' Series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
scale mail Todd Powers * skirt Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

But long before the construction of this skirt began, the fabric itself was being weathered for me by an unsuspecting army of models; the yardage for both underskirt and over-skirt have provided background,

property, and costume elements for dozens of Todd's photo shoots over the last seven years. This yardage has been through every kind of shoot, from studio to location; this fabric has been dragged through the dirt, drowned in the Kern River, wrapped around models, tacked against two-by-fours, and hung from the rafters.

I often prefer that my costume fabrics be properly worn and weathered before I begin construction; I like the way they drape, and move, after they've experienced the world a bit and have developed some character of their own. There are ways to speed up the weathering process in the shop or studio, but given how much shooting Todd does, it's easier for me to toss my yardage into his props bins, and let the Todd and the models take it from there.

After removing areas that were a bit over-worn, or torn, and cutting out the largest pieces for the two main sections of the over skirt: The smaller and connecting portions of the over skirt were pieced together using scraps culled from the remaining lace yardage. Over sixty different bits of lace were pieced together, to create the entire over skirt, which also has ribbon channels sewn into the front and back, so that it may be ruched higher for a different look. The three-tiered tail addition to the skirt, which is detachable, required an additional two dozen pieces of lace yardage for it's overlay. All of the trim was sewn on by hand. A black cotton underskirt, beneath the blue polyester skirt, provides stability and comfort for the entire garment --three skirts in all.

Of course, Studio Cat had her part to play, in this costume's construction:

I set out to create an elaborate costume piece that would adjust, to fit many different sizes; the side laces can be drawn tight or let out, and the box pleats in back can easily be let out or taken in; the waist in the cotton underskirt is quilted, partly due to the piecing of the lace yardage on top; this waist is strong, and holds basting stitches easily, so there is no damage to the outer skirts. Also, for the purposes of this shoot, the hem of the skirt was raised a full six inches --again, easily done thanks to the cotton underskirt, and no damage done to the delicate, weathered polyester. This skirt stood up to a romp in the ocean and the climb of a massive boulder, on location:

BTS: 'Pas de Berlin ' team on location in Cambria, Ca 2014
photographer Todd Powers * model Berlin * MUAH Ande Castaneda
scale mail Todd Powers * skirt and accessories Jen Raven
concept direction provided by Jen Raven

'Joyeux' set edits, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014. photos and editing by Todd Powers

Want more? Full collection of BTS photos from 'Pas de Berlin' here!
Read more about this year-long project here and here!

Todd creating the scale mail top for our 'Joyeux' set

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Eye Spy . . .

11/24/2014

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'Coda' was the final segment in our 'Pas de Berlin' series, and my preparation for this shoot began months in advance. A backdrop canvas had to be painted; set and costume pieces had to be built, schedules had to be coordinated. After the shoot, the set and costume lilies were dis-assembled and re-made, into individual works of art, for the gallery exhibit.

Portfolio shots of my Lily creations by Todd Powers:

Lilies on display in the gallery, with the artwork:

In-studio creation of the lily vines; individual elements are altered, painted, assembled, and then re-assembled:

On set, day of shoot: Backdrop and props are set up, just before Model Berlin arrives in makeup, courtesy of our skilled makeup artist, Ande Castaneda. Berlin has to be further altered with body paint, moss, costume vines and lilies, before the shoot begins:

'Coda' was shot in three separate segments: First, Berlin becomes acquainted with Lily, representative of her hard-fought, and hard-sought, transformation (she is 'seeing' her pain, recognizing and accepting it). Next, we remove the Lily prop as Berlin dances, embodying the Lily spirit (relying on dance, she works her way though the pain). Finally, Berlin is re-created; now a fierce, powerful Lily, she is stronger for having embraced and accepted all parts of herself -both light, and dark (by taking ownership of her pain and grief, she also gains control over these strong energies; she now has the skills to bend those strong energies to her own will, use them as she sees fit).

'Coda' Set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014 *model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costume, accessories, properties by Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

"I found I was able to be comfortable using the movements of my dancing experience to draw emotion into my modeling. It was rather healing. I took a step back and realized in some aspect this (modeling) is like dancing. In ballet or lyrical, whether I was having a good day or bad, I would portray that into my choreography, and how ever you may have danced that day, your raw emotions poured out for everyone to see, who understood. In some shoots I found myself crying or tearing up after, it was like a performance I poured my heart into, a performance that was rather healing for me. This was the right way to heal, the method I’d been searching for. I began to eat right, exercise, travel, I met some amazing people (from the art community) who continue to stay by my side, and most of all I began to heal, to sleep again at night, to forgive myself, to just. be. happy. for myself. I genuinely still am. I didn’t realize how dead I was as a person until I met the right people who set me down a better path. I am forever grateful. Art does save."

~excerpt from 'A Broken Recovery' by Berlin

We named the final shot of the final set 'Coda' and it was used in creating the event graphics for advertizing the exhibit:

I am so very grateful that I had the opportunity, to experience this marvelous, year-long collaboration. What an amazing team. What an uplifting experience it has all been!

See more behind-the-scenes photos and video from this collaboration here!

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Dia de los Muertos 2014

11/1/2014

Photos above: Dia de los Muertos 2014
Photographers Todd Powers and Ande Castaneda
Models Berlin and Lucy Cruz
Hair Styles by Jen Raven and Ande Castaneda
Makeup Artist Ande Castaneda
Body Art and Hair Accessories by Jen Raven
Wardrobe by Jen Raven and Lucy Cruz
Special thanks to Fortino Alvarez

Photo left: BTS with artist Jen Raven and model Lucy Cruz
Photo below: BTS with Fortino Alvzrez, Todd Powers,
Jen Raven, Ande Castaneda, Berlin, Lucy Cruz

I love the shoots that Ande has dubbed "Play Dates," when we get together as a group, create and learn with one another, and have a lot of fun along the way! Many thanks to Todd, Ande, Berlin, Lucy, and Fortino.

Costume armor collaboration

6/23/2014

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Over the last six months, Todd has been teaching himself the art of crafting costume armor pieces out of foam. He's starting to get pretty good at it, and he's just received his first commission request.

I am collaborating with Todd on this project; we discussed what our client requested, and I drafted a master pattern for the arm guards, which I then copied onto a square of canvas, to create a sturdy template.

Todd will use the template to cut and mold foam pieces for the arm guards; he will do the majority of the work on them, from here.

Progress photos, drafting the pattern:

Todd is nearly finished with the arm guards. His progress:

The arm-guards are nearly finished.

It's time for me to step in again, and help complete the guards. Studio Cat is on hand, to supervise.

Before I stitch the pleather trim together to form straps, I'm sure to wipe a bit of silicone spray over the top of the trim, so that the pleather doesn't catch on the presser foot and wreck the tensions --and break my machine. I learned that lesson the hard way, a few years back!

After the pleather becomes straps, I sew on the buckles, then we sew and epoxy the straps to the guards. We add grommets to the straps, Todd pops in the LED lights, and Studio Cat gives her final approval. The project is complete and the client is ready for Labyrinth Masquerade!

More progress photos:

Rawr! Client Claire Rock is ready for the Labyrinth Masquerade.

Follow Todd on Facebook, to see more costume armor and other projects.

Follow my Facebook page, to see more of Studio Cat.

pay attention to me! sized on Make A Gif

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

"I'm so much cuter than that costume armor. Pay attention to ME."

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'PAIN' Group Exhibit

6/22/2014

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dropping my work at the P.O. in April

My first Los Angeles exhibit -and I'm so excited! This is a mail-in exhibit, with participants sending in work from around the world --Asia, Europe, South America, as well as all over the USA and Canada.

'PAIN' group exhibit, curated by Ted Meyer, is hosted by The Gallery at the LRC, the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. In the slide show; my shown works are #90 and #91.

In April, I had postcards created through my PIXELS page, of a few paintings that fit this theme, and I also printed two photos from my first concept shoot as director, which also fit the theme. Below, a slideshow of how I prepared a few of my works for mailing, and another from the day of the exhibit opening:

I also created some new work to wear, for the opening reception. "We get by with a little help from our friends" seemed appropriate, given the overall theme of the exhibit.

"PAIN"runs May 7 through August 30th, 2014, at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA.

'PAIN' group exhibit was also covered by U Magazine, UCLA.

For more information on this exhibit, please visit The Gallery at the LRC.

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The Only Way Forward

Dia de los Muertos 2018

The Bee Keepers: Clothed in Blue

Tiny Treasures X

An afternoon in Upland

Forward Motion

My relationship with my body

My relationship with my mind

My relationships with others

Forward Motion

Epaulement and Avant

Evolution of a dress

Evolution of a skirt

Eye Spy . . .

Dia de los Muertos 2014

Costume armor collaboration

'PAIN' Group Exhibit

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