Linda Mason x The Art of Beauty
2010-2013
Assisting @ The Art of Beauty, Soho New York
Curated the last show in Linda's gallery - A retrospective of her mixed-media work.
Linda Mason, The Art of Beauty, Soho NY 2011-2013
When I first came to The Art of Beauty, I was hired to work in Linda's boutique shop. However, one of Linda's many gifts as a mentor is that she throws you into the deep end; whatever I was willing and able to take on, Linda gave me the chance to do so. In my three years at The Art of Beauty, I was immersed in one of the most creative & inspiring environments I've ever been a part of, grateful to be surrounded by some of the most talented, passionate and dedicated artists I know.
In the coming years, I modeled in and assisted Linda's intensive makeup course, planned and implemented makeup + art events, and assisted Linda & The Art of Beauty team on countless editorial shoots. Linda taught me how to use Photoshop and I taught myself Dreamweaver so I could maintain her Art of Beauty website. We wrote blog posts & kept The Art of Beauty's social media up to date. I also managed Linda's art gallery next door and curated her last show in her gallery, a retrospective of her work.
When I finally took Linda's intensive makeup course I was already familiar with "The Art of Beauty" look, having observed Linda and her team of makeup artists for the past two years. On one of the days of the course, instead of learning about blush techniques Linda took us on set with her to assist on a photo shoot with dancers from Cirque du Soleil. To this day, that was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. I learned more that day thanks to Linda's experiential style of teaching than I could have ever imagined or asked for. After taking the intensive makeup course, I did
in-house makeup applications at The Art of Beauty and makeup for events such as ION Studios' Fashion's Night Out. I also worked with HydroHair creator/renowned hair stylist & photographer Jeorge Napoleon at his Studio59BK in Brooklyn.
Every day at The Art of Beauty was something new and a chance to grow as an artist. I owe everything to Linda and The Art of Beauty team for that experience, and for making me into the artist I am today.