It's A Kind of Magic

Sometimes the past can pop it's head round the door in a most unexpected way.  I was so excited to see of photo of myself  in the new Freddie Mercury biography by Lesley-Ann Jones .



Yes, I'm the body painted lady in the lift with Freddie! I was so lucky back in 1986 to be part of the now seemingly legendary Queen party at the Kensington roof Gardens.  It was held after their concert at Wembley Stadium on the 12th July, the last gig of their 'Magic' Tour.

During 1985 - 86 I'd been involved in a couple of courses run by the marvellous german make-up artist Bernd Bauer. He was/is particularly renowned for his body-painting and I'd already had the chance to be a model for his work on the front cover of 'Timeout Magazine'.

'Timeout Magazine' 1985. I'm the cocktail in the middle!

 . So I get a phone call  a couple of days before the party asking if I'd like to be a model there and it took all of a split second to think about it and say YES  :))

It really was an astonishing and utterly unforgettable evening. I was painted up to look like I was wearing a bell boy uniform and my job was to bring the guests up to the Roof Gardens in a mirrored lift . (which is where the photo was taken).  There were other body-painted models there, some mingled with the guests whilst others were painted up as shells and stones and lay in a huge faux aquarium! An extraordinary sight.

I  loved every minute of it and once all the guests had arrived I was able to just party along with everyone else. A never ending supply of champagne, Queen giving a brief  but wild performance, dancing all night and then a cab home at about 7.00 in the morning , it was a hard job but someone had to do it  ;)  It took about 4 baths to get all the body-paint off but what a hell of an adventure and such a special thing to be a part of. So to see this piccie was such a treat :))

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Flowerings

The first buds in my Poison Garden are beginning to unfurl. Here are ' Deadly Nightshade' (Atropa Belladonna) and one of her dark sisters, 'Bleeding Heart' (Dicentra Spectabilis). Still very much works in progress but won't be too long before I can start to paint them :) Making their respective flowers to add to their decoration will be quite a challenge and I've still not quite decieded what medium to use. Perhaps paperclay, though mulberry paper may work for Nightshade....... I'm not sure.

I'm also working on 2 larger pieces (full face masks) . 'Lady Laudanum' as mistress of poppies is another of my poison plants. Also 'Visions' a very personal mask who is not part of this series. It will be a little while longer before they progressed enough to share :)

When finished these will be for sale on my Etsy page.

Nightshade

Bleeding Heart

Naughty Spider never likes to think that something is happening that might not actually involve him, so he just had to help out ;)

'Ashes of memories still aglow'

So excited !!!  Ultravox my favourite band ever, have got a brand new album coming out on May 28th  and from the clips I've heard it sounds like it's going to be wonderful :))))



More details here!

And I just got my ticket for their UK tour, Hammersmith Apollo, September 27th  :)) Last time I saw them there was in 1984 !! So many memories............... I can hardly wait!



Succubus

 

Photographer: Chris Dean. Mask & Model: Tanith

Materials: Paper, wire, glass beads, acrylic paint, bronze powders. 

NEW MASKS should be coming very soon. I'm working on a series inspired by beautiful and mysterious plants with a darker reputation! At present Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade), Bleeding Hearts and Opium Poppies are beginning to bloom ;). Will  have some work in progress pictures to show shortly.

Absinthe

 The Green Fairy has inspired two very different masks and I know she has more more to share with me  ;)  The first piece was shown in A Garden in Darkness exhibition, Paris 2009.  The second one was destined for an exhibition in the Netherlands, but was very sadly lost  on her journey.

Photographer: Chris Dean. Mask: Tanith Hicks

Materials: Paper, wire, glass beads, acrylic paint, bronze powders, acrylic wax.

Photographer: Chris Dean. Mask: Tanith Hicks

Materials: Paper, card, wood, faux pearls, acrylic paints, bronze powders, acrylic wax.

Help Protect Vunerable Hares!

This  is relevant to UK residents only. 

 From the The Humane Society International

'The hare population has suffered a serious decline in the UK, with an estimated 80 percent reduction in the last century. A government target to double springtime numbers by 2010 failed to achieve its goal.  

And yet, because of a lack of protection during the breeding season, each year tens of thousands of dependent young hares are left to die when their nursing mothers are killed.

Early Day Motion 2531 urges the government to introduce protection in England by setting a close season during this sensitive period. Urge your MP to protect young hares from suffering .. ask him or her to sign EDM 2531

Legislation has just come into force in Scotland making it an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take brown hares from 1 February to 30 September (and mountain hares from 1 March to 31 July). Much of mainland Europe protects hares during the breeding season too.'

Help protect pregnant and nursing hares and their young and contact your MP today!

 And please don't worry if you are not too confident writing letters, like me ;). If you follow the links they will lead you through to firstly finding out if your MP has already signed the EDM. If they have not it will take you through to a pre-written letter which you can alter if you wish or send through as it is. It take a couple of minutes and yet could make such a difference !!

Very best wishes and thank you

Tanith x

End of Wakefulness.

 

Photographer: Chris Dean. Mask & Model: Tanith

Materials: Paper, wood, faux pearls, wire, acrylic paints, bronze powders.