2 minute read
Once Upon A Body: The Story Continues
Niki from Once upon a Body has received a place to train as a hair and makeup artist at the Iver Academy at
Pinewood Studios. Her place was given to her due the amount of passion and dedication she has for her work.
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Niki has been working as a self-taught artist since 2014 when a friend of hers wanted to be painted as a tiger for a public display of awareness. Up until this point, Niki had only worked on small face painting events but was suddenly pushed into the spotlight after her tiger. It grabbed the attention of the press and social media.
Since then, she has developed a long line of relationships with photographers and models who have all wanted to work with her. Her reputation precedes her, as you can see from social media and her references displayed on her website.
During the dreaded lockdown, Niki was still working full time for the NHS but managed to continue to keep her makeup skills up to date. Obviously, she was unable to work on models and with photographers, so she set up a mini studio in her home and practised on herself, which meant completely dropping the comfort blanket.
On her switch from other people’s makeup to her own, Niki said: “I have only ever been able to body paint and do makeup on other people. Working on myself was out of the question. When I started, I was rubbish! But since April this year, I have grown more confident with my own creations, and I’ve enjoyed learning new tips and skills. Social media was a great help for me; I have had a lot of fun making videos showing my makeup looks and interacting with other creators.”
Niki feels she still has a long way to go. Her training will push more boundaries and give more room for further development. “I will continually learn more skills and practice as much as I can around my current day job. Training with the Iver Academy is my ultimate goal and a huge dream of mine!” Niki has recently joined the UK face and body painting convention group which are
currently holding virtual body painting competitions while tighter restrictions are back in place. The last competition was a Disney themed full body paint project, where Niki entered with an enchanting 'Fantasia' piece.
“Sadly, I didn't place in the top five, but I was immensely proud of what I achieved. I had only ever entered one competition previously, five years ago, and it was a disaster! I have entered in a Halloween and Christmas body painting competition for 2020, so hopefully I'll at least place. Whatever happens, I will never give up. I will keep trying, no matter how many times I am knocked back along the way.”
Niki currently has a go fund me page set up: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ iver-makeup-academy-funding along with links and more information on her website: www.onceuponabody.co.uk
On the subject of her fundraising, Niki adds: “Any help through donations or sponsorship will be greatly appreciated. I have been partly supported by Ben Nye makeup, a SFX company in LA, which is amazing!” You can also follow and support Niki's work on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as 'Once upon a body'.
