Allyson Mitchell's Hungry Purse

My lovely friend, Marne Lucas asked me to collaborate with her again. She met Canadian installation artist extraordinaire Allyson Mitchell at the opening of "Visible Vagina" at the David Nolan Gallery. They hit it off and planned to do an artist portrait session inside Allyson's installation, "Hungry Purse: The Vagina Dentata in Late Capitalism". Marne called me up to contribute a little style, make up, hair wrangling action. (uh, yeah, mention 'vagina and 'capitalism' in the same sentence you best believe I'm in).

Turns out Marne, Allyson and I are all kindred feminist artist ladies with a whole lot of silly mixed up in there. Allyson reconfirmed my love for Canada and their support of artists. She was just about to depart back from a 6 month residency. So glad I got a chance to meet her. (slick pics to come...here's some teaser shots)

I got my first chance to work with a faux mustache. Here's Allyson looking mega hot in a black poly zip up pantsuit. I think channeling a little Burt Reynolds meets Deep Lez. I MUST get a poly pantsuit. 1st functional, then flattering and so easy! With the zip down front, to boob...or not to boob. hot.

Here's a detail of the throne and stuffed pink antelope (?) heads. When asked by a gallery-goer, "What are those?" Allyson replied, "Some weird fallopian tube head things." Ahh...yes. Perfect.



I'm in love with her pink animal creations...cute little nippled minxes. Neon creatures in the woods. Here's some more from her catalog of Ladies Sasquatch.

Detail of ceiling, collected doilies, afghans knitted into one massive construction.

Marne hard at work, and her special skill--balancing atop crookedy ladders while capturing beautiful images. Notice entrance and urethra afghan. (never thought I'd write those two words together)


If you're in NY the Visible Vagina exhibition runs through March 20th. Go see it, you won't regret it!

Anais Mitchell's Hadestown + Alicia J. Rose , and me!

Awhile back I posted some teaser pics of promo shots for Anais Mitchell's upcoming album Hadestown. Time's come to release these beauts into the universe. I worked with pro photographer/amazing gal Ms. Alicia J. Rose yet again. This time I dabbled in a bit of everything: hair, make-up, wardrobe, styling, set design. I'm very pleased with our little collaboration. (big sigh...I sure do miss Portland)

Widow's Walk Lake Teaser Trailer

Sadly, I left the production as make up artist of the short film Widow's Walk Lake for adventures in the big city. But I left my trusty friend Rachel to take over. And I bet she's doing a beautiful job. The director, James Strayer and team pumped out a teaser trailer last month I haven't been able to share due to my insane new life/vision quest. BUT, don't fret my preciouses. Here's a look at the labors of my make up love this past summer.

Widow's Walk Lake teaser trailer from James Strayer on Vimeo.

And One for Posterity

I began my make-uppin' in Portland with the ladies of Fat Fancy and wrapping up with them. My last gig for Carlee and Annie was for their grand opening of their new shop in downtown Portland. They've come such a long way. I'm so happy for them! Congrats ladies and I'll see you on the flip-flop. New York awaits....

Hightower's Power

This is a Native pin-up/portrait series of Rachel I worked on by photographer, Marne Lucas. Besides being a stunner of a woman, fellow Libran, Marne's also enormously caring, talented, optimistic and hilarious. I've found rad women travel in packs. It's no wonder she's runs with m'lady Raquel. (sorta dying from how rad they both are). I dream of collaborating on creating gorgeous images coast to coast and continent to continent with my ladies. To dream the dream.

Here's a couple doozies from the series to sate. (hair, make up by me. styling by Rachel or "Lady Raquel" if you're nasty).

Marne and Lady Raquel have worked together as a serious dynamic duo. Beauty? I'll say, sheesh. They got it for miles.

Giving Birth to Myself

I love Halloween! I usually have my costume picked out a year in advance and spend a insane amount of time on making it. This year is a big year> a very big year and next year is going to be even more epic. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a new phase in life than to give birth to myself. Can you?

(thanks to my beloved Darrin for shaving his head and donating his hair for pubes. also big thanks to my green lady midwife, Rachel for being there for me in time of need.)



Malice is helping my mom birth me on the bar room floor of East End. Classy.

Here's some more doozies of me, Ash and Rachel getting ready to go out. (note: I kept my wallet, cell phone and a bottle of wine in vajay. mom's a lush)

It takes a village, thanks Sadie.

Check out Meryl Smith's art and props to the originator of the original costume idea.

Ophelia: Spectator/Spectacle

FTW: "Get thee to a nunnery". Choke on it, patriarchy. We got something to say. Look who's looking at who. Oh ladies! Let's just make post-post-post modern art about it shall we? More shots from Modern Ophelia:








Photos by Christine Blystone and Rachel Hightower. Styling, hair and make up: me.

Reviving Ophelia

Lady Raquel and Gigi strike again! This time for a project reviving Millais' Ophelia. Raquel and her partner Christine Blystone (henceforth, "Candy") laid their brainiac skills down on this one and took me along for the ride. With some minor make-uppin', I'm mainly along for moral support and the occasional pill and tit wrangling. Need your hair swirly? That's a job for me! Want to look dead/otherworldly and beautiful? I have some tips for ya! Here are the final shots.





Process shots:

Artist in Her Studio

The last photo shoot I helped out on got me thinking about how artists are portrayed in promotional photos. I love the idea of capturing a woman at work in her studio. I picked out some of my favorite images and artists evoking personality and strength while still glamorous.
(clockwise from top left: Rita Ackermann, Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle and Lizzi Bougatsos)

These are some make up ideas that are stark, light/dark and convey sultriness while still classy and feminine.
(clockwise from top left: Andrea de Lempicka paintings, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, Beatrice Wood, center: woodcut by Peter Nivens)

Hot Folk Opera -- Hadestown by Anais Mitchell

Anais Mitchell came through town a couple days on tour. I got together with Alicia J. Rose again to collaborate on photo ideas. This time around I did sets, wardrobe, styling, hair and make up. Serious heavy lifting in the name of a great picture. Anais wrote and performed Hadestown, a folk/rock opera, coming out soon. Think Tom Waits and Nina Simone meets Greek Tragedy. Here are a couple teaser shots I took. I'll post more when they're edited and ready for the world.

It was a really nasty day out the day of the shoot. We opted to shoot indoors for the most part at Mississippi Studios.

Here's Anais in a dress designed locally with refurbbed fabrics by Urchin sold at Flutter. You can't see here yet but a pink dress with spandex leggings and knee high boot = ballerina badass.



This is my favorite look with an ascot and brass buttoned vest. Bye-bye cutie, hello toughy.

Widows Walk Lake

Here are some video stills from the short film I've been working this summer. The last shot is coming up November 4th during a semi-full moon. Some creepy stuff, man.

I think Max Records has seen a ghost!
Abigail (Greta Pauley) and young Henry (Noel Taylor) in love! Right before things get gloomy.
Sad, sad Abigail.
Old Henry (Peter Holden)
William with plague mask. chillllzzz.

Armour-all Tatas

My super good friend Rachel (above with me) came to me with this dress idea a few weeks ago. First, she wants in in leather which I neither have the equipment (yet) or practice doing. She's got a leather guy and just needs to work out the pattern. For practice and the pure challenge of the idea, I agreed. It's very interesting to sit with someone and hammer out and idea, get supplies and notions and make it happen. We started with a few sketches and I jumped in working on the components.

This is a more defined picture with lines and ideas pounded out a little better.


Here is a picture of the prototype in muslin. You can see the lines and structure. Theres lots of boning and an underwire here. Watch out! Lady's got dangerous curves.




Then just so that we'd have a wearable piece, Rachel is following my pattern and making an identical copy in the most amazing fabric.

Very Thierry Mugler, no?


The woman at The Mill End fabric said another woman came in got just as excited as we did about it. Rolling down the fabric aisles laughing our butts off at the absurdity. How funny if Rachel wears out this little number and catches a whiff of a lady in a matching dress! Instant cat fight...or....spontaneous dance partners?

When we're done with this dress, I'll hand over the prototype and the pattern to the leather construction man. It's funny to think I'm making a blueprint in fabric to be followed by silky green leather. Here's to making this work!

Rachel and I worked on a Native American princess pin-up shoot together in September. I'm really hoping to get my hands on some finished photos by the wonderful Marne Lucas. Until then, here's our little monkey faces together again.