Body painting close up photos and news!

So that past week has been an eventful one. Just yesterday we finished moving to our new apartment- its amazing how much time and energy this can eat up but im happy for the change. I finally have my art space set up in a somewhat functional way so now i have little excuse not to work on the painting i have been neglecting for some time now. I hope to finish said painting this week. if all goes well on Friday i will do a blog entry to unveil the finished piece and talk about the creative process with a bunch of "work in progress" pictures.<br />In the meantime, last night i went through some of my body painting photos and chose 5 pictures i have yet to post that are more "close ups" then full body shots.<br />I wanted to share them with you:<br /><br />Apparition of Truth<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4614616612/" title="Apparition of Truth by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Apparition of Truth" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4614616612_7eaa92314a.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />Model: Wenseay)<br /><br />Your Body is Your Temple<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4613996785/" title="Your Body is Your Temple by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Your Body is Your Temple" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4613996785_9712b017c0.jpg" width="401" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />Model: Jaybird)<br /><br />Blissful Hope<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4613992815/" title="Blissful Hope by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Blissful Hope" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4613992815_6528988ec8.jpg" width="335" /></a><br />(Body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />model: Blissful Hope)<br /><br />Love Thy Self<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4614605016/" title="Love Thy Self by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Love Thy Self" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4614605016_b30cf52f3e.jpg" width="335" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />Model: Ana)<br /><br />Rebel Heiress<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4614600762/" title="Rebel Heiress by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Rebel Heiress" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3381/4614600762_95b75bebd7.jpg" width="335" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />model: Thierra )<br /><br />...I also wanted to share with you an "out take" photo that i came across last night and knew i had to post:<br />Powah!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4614594072/" title="Powah by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Powah" height="405" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/4614594072_db43cfedda.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />This is a photo i snapped of my model Blissful Hope as we had finished up with the shoot. She had washed her face and put her clothing on and was struck by how the body painting suddenly looked like fierce tattoo sleeves with her tank top on. so she posed just like that and insisted i get my camera out and snap one. I love it! It just reminds me that granted this body painting/photo project takes a lot of energy to generate but I have so much fun doing these shoots!<br /><br />I have another pregnant body painting shoot scheduled for this Saturday inside <a href="http://www.truthartspace.com/"><strong>T.Ruth Artspace gallery</strong></a>, so i am excited and looking forward to the weekend.<br />Thus far this body painting project has been a fascinating adventure. I am thrilled to have gotten to know the women who volunteered to be a part of the project. Their personal strengths and beauty have lent so much amazing energy- its extremely inspiring for me. I'm excited to see what the next step/level to this project might entail.<br /><br />Id also like to give thanks, praise and many blessings to Tiffany Ruth, the owner of <a href="http://www.truthartspace.com/"><strong>T.Ruth Art space</strong></a> where i have been painting and photographing my models. Tiffany is currently in the hospital due to medical complications. She should be released in a few days but I'm asking for those who can spare some good vibe to send it her way. She is an amazing and dear friend, strong and beautiful independant woman and an amazing asset and Jewel to the artistic community. I give thanks to her for all that she has done for me! I feel truly blessed to have her presence in my life. <br /><br />Much love to all!<br />-Chelsea Rose

Body painting close up photos and news!

So that past week has been an eventful one. Just yesterday we finished moving to our new apartment- its amazing how much time and energy thi...

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Friday art hanging and paint flinging Madness+ weekend progress

Wow...whats a crazy few days its been. Friday was a hoot.<br />It started off with danny kindly picking me up from work and taking me out to lunch. Then we went home, grabbed the rest of my paintings in the apartment and dashed off to<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.inotherwords.org/"><strong>InOtherWords feminist bookstore</strong></a>.<br />Danny and I hung up my paintings on their display wall in the back:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4486892615/" title="Hanging my art inside InOtherWords bookstore by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Hanging my art inside InOtherWords bookstore" height="335" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4486892615_c2d257b5df.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4487538860/" title="Hangin my art inside InOtherWords bookstore by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Hangin my art inside InOtherWords bookstore" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4487538860_b0c451daec.jpg" width="353" /></a><br />We used fishing line to wire them up there...so in person they kinda flaot off the wall.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4487550782/" title="my art inside InOtherWords feminist bookstore by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="my art inside InOtherWords feminist bookstore" height="254" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4487550782_712d426d1d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />My artwork will be featured in the book store for the month of April. So if you are in town come stop by <a href="http://www.inotherwords.org/"><strong>InOtherWords</strong></a> bookstore and explore! I talked with the art curator a bit more as we hung the paintings and she says she would like to display my body painting series at some point as well. She was thinking it would be perfect for "body image awareness month"...but we have to figure out when that is and if it will work out.<br /><br />.....After we were done hanging my artwork we drove on over to Vancouver Washington to partake in some much needed community paint flinging madness with The Space Art collective. It was an open house for the new studio space that is becoming the heart of unabashed creation in the Vancouver area. The event revolved around some breathtaking local bands playin trippy melody as a large gaggling crowd painted each others faces and took part in painting a large piece of "community canvas" that was open for all.<br />Of course the first thing i did when i got in was put on my warrior woman marks:<br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4491211414_0b7d212404.jpg" /><br />Photo taken by the amazingly talented and sweet <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kermitlover/"><strong>Anni Becker</strong></a><strong><br /></strong>( do you like my sour puss samurai concentration face?)<br /><br />...and then i got to paint other peoples faces, much to my delight:<br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4491237068_9741af605e.jpg" /><br />another photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kermitlover/"><strong>Anni Becker</strong></a><strong><br /></strong>(Here i am having fun talkin with and painting another amazing artist, <a href="http://www.kellykeigwin.com/home.html"><strong>Kelly Keigwin</strong></a> )<br /><br />Once we were all properly ritualized in tempera paint...we began to attack the community canvas piece:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4487472976/" title="The Space Art Collective by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="The Space Art Collective" height="335" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4487472976_ee87309b77.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Here is danny gettin into the groove of it all and painting away!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4486826271/" title="The Space Art Collective by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="The Space Art Collective" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4486826271_6074c53f82.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />Anni and I havin a go at the canvas with much reverie!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4487469368/" title="The Space Art Collective by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="The Space Art Collective" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4487469368_a5dc5ed025.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />many hands knuckle painting!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4487466650/" title="The Space Art Collective by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="The Space Art Collective" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4487466650_befd7583b0.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />amidst the crowd.<br /><br />Here is the almost finished result of the live community painting free for all:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4486876073/" title="The Space Art Collective by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="The Space Art Collective" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4486876073_978139da3b.jpg" width="468" /></a><br />It was an amazing night. i met some wondrous souls and had so much fun painting and hangin out. Big thanks and to The Art Space Collective!<br /><br />The weekend was relatively uneventful compared to Thursday's Piratical Magic art opening reception and Friday's artwork hanging and paint flinging madness.<br /><br />On Saturday morning I woke up and took a critical look at all the blank walls of my apartment- realizing that almost all of my artwork was out of my hands for the time being which made me realize....I have to PAINT!! I must do some creating and fill up all the empty wall space once again.<br />So i kicked my butt and started a new painting based off of one of my pen and ink drawings that i had named "The Dread Goddess":<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4313148358/" title="Dread Goddess by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Dread Goddess" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4313148358_fcf9b3536b_m.jpg" width="221" /></a><br />I will soon be posting a blog entry on the creation of this painting with a bunch of work in progress shots....so keep a look out for that!<br /><br /><br />Also...check out two of the newest Mandala paintings that danny has done:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidopticlab/4484309615/" title="Vishuddha mandala by Lucid Optic Lab, on Flickr"><img alt="Vishuddha mandala" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4484309615_7982dfb855.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />Vishuddha mandala by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/lucidopticlab">Danny</a><br />ink over watercolor<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidopticlab/4491959241/" title="Ajna mandala by Lucid Optic Lab, on Flickr"><img alt="Ajna mandala" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4491959241_ffc4018a54.jpg" width="385" /></a><br />Ajna mandala by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/lucidopticlab">Danny</a><br />ink over watercolor<br /><br />...So now you know the scoop. Its been a crazy fun past few days and its once again a rainy Monday morning in Portland Oregon.<br />Best wishes to all with many blessings.<br />I hope this week is fruitful and filled with positive vibration.<br />-Chelsea Rose

Friday art hanging and paint flinging Madness+ weekend progress

Wow...whats a crazy few days its been. Friday was a hoot. It started off with danny kindly picking me up from work and taking me out to lunc...

Read more »

Apparition of Truth- more body painting photos from the series

So its Monday and in many ways i feel like clawing my own eyes out, roasting them in garlic and feeding them to my cat. But i will refrain. I promise.<br />The weekend was wonderful. I did not have a body painting photo shoot lined up so i used my extra time wisely by working on my painting in process, getting things ready for the art fair seasons(next month!) and a lil bit of house cleaning and soul searching too.<br /><br />I also released 2 more shots from my Apparition of Truth shoot with Wenseay:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4396915955/" title="Apparition of Truth by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Apparition of Truth" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4396915955_c78aa7b4c6.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />Model: Wenseay)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4393317184/" title="Apparition of Truth by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Apparition of Truth" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4393317184_a6164b8950.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose<br />Model: Wenseay)<br /><br />My next shoot is lined up for the 13th. Should be fun!<br />....The more i have thought about turning this body painting project of mine into a series that i could show in a gallery, the more i realized how out of budget printing and framing all of these photographs would be. So, today on my way home im planning on stoppin by the library to see if they have any HOW TO books on Grant writing. That would be a great way to deal with the expenses of printing and framing all the photos from this body painting series. Its worth a shot, at least.<br /><br />I have confirmed that i will be having my solo show in April at InOtherWords feminist book store. Which means i am kicking my butt into hyper gear to see how many more paintings i can produce before i have to begin the hanging.<br />Speaking of painting, danny took this photo over the weekend while i was fine tuning some of the details in the painting i am currently working on:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4392482703/" title="painting the sea witch by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="painting the sea witch" height="335" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4392482703_6340d7b82a.jpg" width="500"></a><br />I should be done with this one in a day or two...whether i like it or not, it will be time to move on!<br /><br />....oh! Did i mention i woke up on Saturday with a guttural need to find a yard sale? Well danny and i ended up finding one. It was small and the woman was mainly selling toddler clothes but look what i found in the free box:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4393660968/" title="my saturday bonnet by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="my saturday bonnet" height="1000" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4393660968_7ae8988219_o.jpg" width="369" /></a><br />yes, i found this wicked cool Bonnet in a for free box! I love it. Its very sweet and simple with browns and yellows. It will be perfect to wear in the summer during the art fairs to keep my face out of the sun. Yay for bonnet love and free finds : )<br /><br />Also, check out this Mandala painting that danny did over the weekend:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidopticlab/4396617875/" title="Anahata mandala by Lucid Optic Lab, on Flickr"><img alt="Anahata mandala" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4396617875_4e8feecbe9.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />(water color and ink mandala painting by Danny)<br />i think this one is my fave out of the 6 that he has done so far. you can view the rest <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidopticlab/sets/72157623351354720/"><strong>here</strong>.</a><br />Purple and green are my fave colors, especially when combined and i love the scale pattern that he used on this one. Cant wait to see what he does next with these Mandalas of his.<br /><br />Yep, so we still have a lot of stuff to get done in time to the art fairs.<br />Busy busy.<br />Hope all is well with everyone.<br />Peace n Love,<br />-Chelsea Rose

Apparition of Truth- more body painting photos from the series

So its Monday and in many ways i feel like clawing my own eyes out, roasting them in garlic and feeding them to my cat. But i will refrain. ...

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Exploration in Body Painting + a few words on nudity and Breasts

I had one hell of a weekend, thats for sure.<br />On Saturday Danny and I went to T.Ruth Art space to set up the area for the photo shoot that we had planned for Sunday. I was going to be meeting a model that answered a craigslist post on being a live nude body painting model for my art project. On Sunday the model and I met at the gallery at 12 and got right to work. I began with her face:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4184374970/" title="Painting Ann by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Painting Ann" height="334" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4184374970_f67ce2e3e5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Here we are in the back of T.Ruth artspace sitting by the heater and doing the first embellishments. We started with the face and worked out way down to her legs.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4183603307/" title="Painting Ann by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Painting Ann" height="334" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/4183603307_a34f2dbab3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />The gallery was open to the public as I was painting and photographing her. T.Ruth had some local musicians playing and she was serving hot coco to all that came in.<br />This was my first time ever doing a full body painting and while it was a bit nerve racking to be doing it in public i think that my inspiration was fueled by the art space and all the wonderful people there. It was such a supportive atmosphere.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidopticlab/4183156095/" title="Chelsea Rose body painting by Lucid Optic Lab, on Flickr"><img alt="Chelsea Rose body painting" height="335" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/4183156095_2490793710.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Ann the model was so amazing and patient. I started painting her body at 12pm and didn't finish untill 3:30pm. Then I photographed her till around 5:00pm. It was a long day but i am super excited to announce that the shoot was an absolute success and i cant wait to show you the finished photos.<br /><br />....So here is one that I retouched and posted last night before I went to bed:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucidrose/4184477002/" title="Goddess in all of Us by lucidRose, on Flickr"><img alt="Goddess in all of Us" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4184477002_ce794cd7a8.jpg" width="486"></a><br />( please click to full view this photo)<br />So thats a taste of whats to come.<br /><br />I cant wait to show you a full body photograph...so stunning.<br />I shot all these photos in color knowing that I would upload them onto my computer and change them to high contrasting black and white. I really am thrilled with the way they came out. Its a very exciting thing to have an idea for so long and then to finally actualize it!<br />So i will be uploading more of these photos from the shoot as soon as i have time to convert them to black and white. So stay tuned if youd like to see more.<br />-----<br />Onto another note i wanted to share an email correspondence i had this morning. This person had emailed me with a question that i have answered all my life about my art so i thought i would share it on my blog.<br />This is the email I read this morning:<br /><br />"Hi Chelsea,<br />I found my way to your blog tonite via flickr, and started reading it. I noticed your Craigslist ad for a model. I have a bit of a bone to pick with you, if you don't mind:-) I am 60. I was a feminist in the 60's, and still am. While your work is excellent technically, I really question all the breasts. I don't know that I would call someone drawing basically male fantasies a feminist. Of course you disagree, and I would love to hear what you have to say. I mean no disrespect. I just wonder if you are aware of feminist history and all that women before you have gone thru in order to NOT be portrayed this way. So, go ahead and explain to me why I'm all wet!!<br />Best,<br />-annoymous "<br /><br />This was my response:<br /><br />" Dear anonymous,<br />Thanks for your email and your thoughts on the subject. I have been given crap for the boobs I have draw since I was 5 years old( I am now 22) so I am used to it and understand that in this world our bodies, our sexual organs, our nakedness is something to be feared for some reason. My Aunt always laughed saying the first thing I ever drew were big boobed mermaids...its something I have done unconsciously, unintentionally all my life so I feel its a part of who I am and in many ways I feel guided with my artwork by the spirits, faery, natural spirits that be since my artwork is not so much planned but done on the spur of the moment. These goddess, faery women just jump right out of me onto the paper. why cloth and hide away their truth with bras and shirts and underwear?<br />I grew up around a lot of powerful women as well as in many clothing optional, nudist communities. I was raised early on practicing earth majick and the worship of mother earth, the goddess and the natural powers that be and was always very fascinated by the big breasted wide hipped symbol of the Goddess and I feel a lot of the figures I draw are very much inspired by that symbol. I think its a very un feminist thing for one to say that beautiful boobs in all their various shapes and sizes could be only what you call " male fantasies". I think its important as woman to take back the image of the female body...take it back for ourselves, explore our selves, our flaws, our shapes and truly cherish our breasts, our vaginas, our clavicle bones, our eyes, our lips...everything. What you see in my artwork is a young woman's exploration of her spirituality and her love of female endowments. If you find that offensive I apologize and know that you have not been the first to be upset by it. But breasts for me are a feminine symbol of creation. We grow them lush so that when we create life we can nourish it and thus they are sacred organs that I offer tribute to in my paintings. I will always be fascinated by breasts and I will continue to paint them whether I paint them perky, limp, long nippled, or lopsided.<br />Also, I think there is not one way to define a feminist and not every woman will be the same kind of feminist as the next. Labels should not have a set definition in my mind because nothing in this entire world is that predictable. You are an older woman and so I have respect for your plight and your perspectives since you are my elder but I would hope that you open your eyes, your mind because everything changes, including these things we call movements. If they didn’t change, grow and morph with each generation then there would be lil progress in the world and the collective conscious. so I hope you and the others that have issues with the nudity in my artwork stop seeing breasts as a profane sexual thing and start seeing them as a symbol for divine life, creation and giving...and let yourself feel empowered when you look upon my artwork...feel moved by my interpretation of the beauty of the female figure and not shamed by it because that is what man has done to our image in our minds and the only way to break that wall down is to change the way we think and feel about ourselves, our body and the image of naked women and our various parts.<br />Best wishes and much love,<br />-Chelsea Rose. "<br /><br />.....I thought this was a good way to share my thoughts on the nude aspects of my paintings on my blog. Im interested to hear more opinions and interpretations, although I must admit I am saddened that my work can be seen as some half brain erotica bullshit because I feel its far from that. However I recognize that art is a personal thing and we have a different view/perspective then each other and I wouldn't have it any other way. Still, it can be disheartening to find that the nude aspects of my work not only offends people but hinders me from displaying and selling my art work at various art fairs, galleries and websites.<br />But this is what i create and i have never ever thought to censor myself and im not about to start doing it now, even if it ment me being more successful by reaching a bigger demographic/audience with my work.<br /><br />It is what it is.<br /><br />That's all the words I have for today.<br /><br />Peace n Love<br />-Chelsea Rose

Exploration in Body Painting + a few words on nudity and Breasts

I had one hell of a weekend, thats for sure. On Saturday Danny and I went to T.Ruth Art space to set up the area for the photo shoot that we...

Read more »