BASE Orlando: Beach Bash Body Paint Art Show

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BASE Orlando founder, Mandi Ilene Schiff celebrated her birthday at the10th BASE show, at DRIP (8747 International Dr Suite 102, Orlando, Florida.) Painting for over a decade, BASE brings together the talents of renowned
Face and Body Painter Mandi and Photographer Robert Johnston.

From humble beginnings of face painting at princess parties, Mandi was
inspired to see the entire body as a canvas and potential work of art.
Since then, she has won multiple face and body painting awards, painted
across the state, on cruise ships and in the Bahamas and currently does
face and body painting in Orlando. Mandi and her dynamic team now bring
their work together at BASE Orlando for an imaginative experience unlike
anything else. After her community of body painters spent years
gathering in bars or homes to practice and exhibit their art, Mandi
founded BASE in an effort to reach out to a wider audience and produce a
complete art show. After many wildly successful events, Mandi and her
team continue to offer visitors a remarkable experience through their
one-of-a-kind collection of local artists and performers.

Over a dozen body paint
artists came together to showcase their unique work and channel
their inspiration for the Beach Bash Body Paint Art Show. BASE guests
experienced live body painting while watching talented artists transform
models into living works of art right before their eyes while getting
the unique opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of professional body
painting.

BASE attendees get up close and personal with live
body art like nowhere else in Florida. While awaiting the final reveal
of the body paint masterpieces, they can browse artist vending tables,
enjoy food and bar specials and live entertainment from the area’s top
burlesque acts, dancers and more. For me, it is always a great sketch opportunity. I have been sketching BASE events for years and the final creations always amaze and inspire.

Base Orlando Pin Ups Pose with Hot Rods.

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After sketching all the body painters and models inside the Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL) I walked outside and ordered a hot dog from the food truck and settled in to sketch the hot rods on display. I was then rewarded as the models came outside to pose next to the cars. Rosie the riveter was the first, and she showed off her biceps. Her  tattoo on her muscular arm read, “We Can Do It!” The model with the heart shaped glasses had a yellow bikini painted on. She feigned surprise as she pursed her lips as if to say oooh!

Mandi Ilene Schiff the Base Orlando organizer has volunteered to be part of the Blue Box Initiative next Monday. She will setup a body painting station in one of the side walk boxes and work for several hours. Her blue box is near the Bob Carr Theater. That entire block is under construction, so there is little foot traffic except for UCF Center of Emerging Media Students. Body Painting on the streets of downtown Orlando should push the limits of what is considered to expression in the City Beautiful. To date, I haven’t seen a single police cruiser while doing a blue box sketch. Perhaps this will finally be a case that catches an officer’s attention.

Mark your Calendars! The next Base Orlando event is Pop-Art themed and is tonight, on March 3, from 8pm to 11pm at the Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL). Tickets are $10 to $25.

Winter Park Art in Chambers is to feature the daily sketches of Thor.

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The City Park Public Art Advisory Board invites you to attend a free artist reception for the sketches of Thomas (Thor) Thorspecken from analogartistdigitalworld.com. Refreshments will be provided. Mark your Calendar! The opening reception is Wednesday May 6th from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Commission Chambers and Chapman Room in Winter Park City Hall 401 South Park Avenue Winter Park, FL 32789 second floor. Stop on out and say hi. The show will hang through August 1st.

For anyone who wants to keep the Art Party going, I will be going to the British Invasion Body Painting Show right afterwards to sketch. That event is at the Majestic Event Center, 801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL. Doors officially open at 8pm. Watch talented body painters transform models into living works of art right before your eyes while getting a chance to interact with the artists and the “art.” Some of Orlando’s top entertainers will also be performing on stage throughout the evening. Enjoy the bar specials and browse the artists vending tables.
Entry is $10 presale or $15 at the door.
Get your tickets at www.BASEOrlando.com

BASE Orlando “British Invasion” Body Painting Show is to feature plenty of talent.

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I went to the Majestic Event Center, 801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL to watch body painting artists get their models ready for a BASE Orlando Body Painting Event. The artists start early in the afternoon so that their creations are ready by the time the doors open at 8pm. I sketched the line up as artists set up. I’ve sketched Nix Herrera before and I love his work. Ironically Sierra Missed was his model at the previous RAW Orlando event so I wanted to be sure they were in the foreground. Sierra was energetic when she arrived, dancing her way into the venue. But when it came time to get to work, she became a marble statue.

Nix’s first order of business was to get Sierra in a tight skull cap and to be sure pasties covered her nipples. He is a consummate pro and offered to help other artists glue down any rough edges on pasties. Models wore bikini bottoms but other than that they were a nude blank canvas to start. There is plenty of playful conversation to start but once brush touches flesh things get serious. There has to be an amazing amount of trust between models and artists. Sierra was quickly painted white from head to feet. Grey detailing was added at her joints that made her look like a mechanical android. One of the dancers from Corsets and Cuties was transformed into a green reptilian goddess. The theme for the evening was “Out of This World” and the results were just that.

Mark Your Calendars! On Wednesday, May 6 at 8:00pm at the Majestic Event Center, 801 N John Young Pkwy, Orlando, Fl, some of Orlando’s top entertainers will also be performing on stage throughout the evening for the British Invasion. Enjoy the bar specials and browse the artists vending tables.
Entry is $10 presale or $15 at the door.
Get your tickets.

Body Paint Artists:

Mandi Ilene
Sierra Rose
Lori Jessup
Nix Herrera
Ajay Schweiger
Della Morte
Melanie Cochrane
Jeff and Caity Simon
Chris Davis and Lauren-Rae Chismar
Tabitha Sclafani
Justin Davis
Emma Kenemer
Tifinie Boutot
Juan Pantoja 

Photographers:
Robert Six-Round
Chuck Davis 

Entertainment:
BalaChandra Belly Dance
Corsets and Cuties, a Burlesque Cabaret
Rock Hard Revue
Team Rush

Is there an age requirement?
Yes, since the event features artwork on nude models, guests over 18 are welcome.
Can I bring my camera?
We ask that you leave your cameras at home since we will have some incredible photographers on hand. Taking photos with your phone is fine, but leave the heavy duty photography to our professionals! You can see the photographers’ work after on our website baseorlando.com and on our Facebook page.

She went in like a lamb and came out like a tiger.

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The make up preparation work by  Nick Herrera on Anya took hours to do. All of their patient work would be used for a poster photo shoot for Nude Nite. Since it was only mid-afternoon, I took the luxury of starting a second sketch. This time I moved in closer to the model so I could catch all the detail work being done on her face. Nick used an airbrush to add the subtle coloring on her facial fur. He added longer sheets of fur around her jaw leading up to her ears and blended it in. Make up on the table sported the label “SFX” which was the only visual clue that Nick had been on SYFY’s Naked Vegas and Face Off shows. Actually SFX or “Special Effects” might be a generic brand of make up, but I choose to think he won it from his time on those reality shows.

I finished this sketch just as Nick was about to start doing the body painting on Anya’s torso. Before they started, I got up to shake Nick’s hand and thank him for letting me sketch the creative process. Nick asked me to wait a moment and he rushed off. He came back with a little milk crate and placed it beside me. He gave Anya his cell phone and asked her to take a photo of the two of us. He then stood on the milk crate beside me. I joked that he had been in LA for too long. He replied “If it is good enough for Tom Cruise, its good enough for me.”

Mark your Calendar and don’t miss Nude Nite! All artwork on display is of the nude figure. There are also burlesque
dancers body painters and experimental art that defies description. The
event runs from February 12 to 14th in Orlando in a warehouse (5051 LB Mcleod Road, Orlando FL). Each night, festivities begin from 6pm to Midnight. Tickets are $25 online or at the door. Spice up your Valentines Day at Nude Nite.

Shannon Holt Hosted a Body Painting and Fine ART Fundraiser

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On July 18th, Shannon Holt held a Body Painting and Fine Art Fundraiser at Cafe DaVinci (112 W Georgia Ave, DeLand, FL.)  Shannon has been invited to participate in a Body Painting gathering in NYC. She is one of twenty five artists that were invited to participate. The event at Cafe Da Vinci was a fundraiser to get her up to NYC. Her fine art paintings were on display on the walls. When I arrived, the three models were just beginning to take their pose. The models on the sides looked like they would get exhausted since they were leaning over the whole time. I suggested to Shannon that they might want to lean against a piano stool to ease the pain.

Shannon put out a call for volunteer models on Facebook for “bendy” models. She was hoping for as many as ten models, with two assistants for this live paint job. Shannon’s mom was busy putting price tags on Shannon’s paintings as Shannon started to sketch on her three models.  Da Vinci’s got more and more crowded as Shannon’s Body Art progressed. A Florida Panther began to take shape on the models semi-nude bodies.

Mark Your Calendar! Starting August 6th (TONIGHT!) at 9pm Shannon will star on “Skin Wars” which is Game Show Network‘s Ultimate Body Painting Competition. This is a reality show similar to “Face Off” where talented artists showcase their talents and each week one contestant is voted out of the competition. II is exciting to see one of Central Florida’s talented artists in competition for $100,000. Although the TV show has already been taped, Shannon couldn’t give away who won. There is a Skin Wars Shannon Party tonight at CafeDa Vinci. Stop out and chear for Shannon in the Olympics of Body Painting! 

As she started to paint her assistant Emma Kenemer showed up to help. Amazingly all the body painting work was done in three hours and that included breaks for the models. Sometimes only one model would pose at a time. Models LeNelle Stephens, Troy, and Alaina Pixley demonstrated patience, beauty and endurance. Before I left, I dropped some money in the tip jar. It was amazing to see such a collaboration. Working live, Shannon had to deal with constant distractions as she raced against the clock to finish her panther.  Body paintings are a fleeting art, and she had photographer Ryder Gledhill take shots of the finished piece. Shannon continues to raise funds for NYC. she is thinking of doing a kick starter. This would also be a great time to hire her to do a private painting and photography
session, buy some art or throw an unforgettable body paint party! NYC OR BUST!

Drip Fairy Body Paint Jam

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0n August 1st, I went to Drip (8747 International Dr. Suite 102, Orlando, Fl, right behind Senor Frogs and Denny’s) to sketch the Body Painting Party after the Drip show.  Painters and models began around 7pm. They gathered in the back stage dressing room and storage area. With eight body painters and just as many models, it was going to get tight. The body painters were, Mandi Ilene,
Lori Babson Jessup,
Tanisha Morgan,
Tracy Purple, and
Cody Saults. All the body painters hat gathered to celebrate Mandi’s birthday.

Jessica Mariko, the founder of Drip welcomed me when I arrived and she went into the dressing room to be sure that models and the artists were all OK with my sketching them.  The painters had a three hour window to get a jump on their body paint creations before guests would get to see their work immediately after the Drip dance show. I focused my attention on the model directly in front of me who was already painted white from head to toe and covered in glitter. She became a stark silhouette in front of the light on the wall. An intricate pattern spiraled around her gluts.

Other models got undressed and periodically, everyone would shout “Nipples!”, followed by laughter. Pasties and thongs would be seamlessly painted to hide any anatomy that was required by social code. An urban graffiti painting shouted “Unity!” I was seated in the only chair in the, closet-room. Often my view was obstructed by models bare backs. It seems ironic that I spent much of my time trying to look past the nudity to see the figures I had started to draw.

The sketch was pretty much done when I saw Terry enter the dressing area. I stood to go meet her. She should have lead me out by the ear, but she seemed delighted to be backstage among the chaos. We got a drink at the bar and soon the Drip dancers were pouring free beer into the open mouths of guests. The live rock band began to play and the hip urban dance began. The dancers spilled drinks on each other and their relationships became clear as they moved among the crowd and teased one another.

The show follows a story line of love and betrayal. The main characters are blue and yellow as hinted at by their Drip rags covering their hair, and the paint they get covered in. When the couple embraced, their colors mixed to become green. I was wearing my Drip T-shirt which was already stained from past shows. In previous shows, paint filled water balloons had been handed to guests. Now the cast took charge, exploding the balloons by hand all over the audience. There might have been incidents in past shows where balloons had hit people in the face. The new approach guarantees everyone gets wet and messy without the dodge ball angst. Even so, a burst of paint in my face managed to loosen a lens in my glasses and it popped out as I sipped a drink later. DRIP is an in-your-face explosion of color and movement backed by a live
rock band, all in an industrial dive bar. You may get wet … you may get
messy … you WILL have an awesome time.

Mark Your Calendar! Shows are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm. What are you waiting for? This is the most fun you can have with a date, loved one, or friends in Orlando.
Tickets for the show available at www.ilovedrip.com.

DRIP Fairy Body Paint Jam

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Mark your calendar, on August 1st there will be a Fairy Body Painting Jam after the Drip show. Drip is located at (8747 International Dr. Suite 102, Orlando, Florida, Behind Denny’s). Come see the show and stay for the body painting or just come for the after party body painting jam.

Small Body or Face Painting will be available for guests.

Admission for after party is $5.
Tickets for the show available at www.ilovedrip.com.

Celebrate Mandi’s Birthday in style with a paint slinging dance show, some colored beer and body paint!!

DRIP is an in-your-face explosion of color and movement backed by a live rock band, all in an industrial dive bar. You may get wet … you may get messy … you WILL have an awesome time.

Painters start time is 7pm, All other guests should arrive at around 10 pm.

Painters include:

Mandi Ilene 

Lori Babson Jessup 

Tanisha Morgan 

Tracy Purple 

Cody Saults

Body Painting

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At the Nude Nite warehouse in Tampa, I looked at some figurative art and then stopped when I saw body painter Cat Camp hard at work. She was working on a male and female model, alternating between them so they could each take brakes. Both models already had white bones painted in place. The male model had the number 6365 written on the center of his back with navy anchors jutting out from behind the shield. I asked him about the number when he was on a break. He works for the coast guard and last week a Coast Guard helicopter went down on a mission. He wanted this body painting to honor his fallen guardsmen.Cat outlined the rib bones and then his pelvis.

The female model spoke with me while I sketched. Seated in my artist stool, I had to look up at her. Ribs were painted on her chest with a flaming heart trapped inside. As we spoke, I made sure not to analyze the maze of patterns flowing over her breasts. She posed next for Cat who outlined ribs and accentuated details. Paint had smeared on her chest and Cat groaned. “I didn’t touch the paint, I swear.” she said. I thought the same. After an hour of being painted, the model’s eyes began to tear up. She tilted her head back not wanting the tears to ruin the paint. The male model noticed and asked, “Are you crying?” She silently took a break to wipe her eyes. When she was gone, Cat said, “I’ve been painting bodies for two days straight, I’m a bit cranky. She’s a delicate spirit.” Later that night the female model was feeling lively and vivacious again as she posed for photos with guests. “I love seeing my art come alive” said Cat.