This weekend’s snow storm reminded me of another biggy about 6 years ago? I was doing a photo test shoot for my assistants on the corner of Thompson and Grand just next to The Art of Beauty. This makeup on Betsey was done by Thalita. As you can see Betsey was a true pro, no complaints. The light of course was incredible no need for reflectors.
Taken from the balcony of The First Presbyterian Church NYC in the winter of 2013.
Growing up in England in the 50’s and 60’s a natural part of life was giving back . It wasn’t something that you talked about it was something that you just did. Wether it was my Dad telling me stories of how when he was a boy at the end of the day they would open their bakery to  the people less fortunate from the neighborhood to use the still hot oven to cook their own bread or my own memories  of  the Salvation army coming round every Christmas, poppies on remembrance day, all those little enveloppes from orphanages we would fill and cards made by the handicapped. I was surrounded by this as a part of life.
So for me it has always been difficult to talk about giving back, it all seemed so phony this talk and I always felt so guilty when not able to give or giving when I myself actually owed money. So being able to give of my time has helped me and I am learning to talk more about this  and not feel so self conscious. One of the causes I help is in need of bodies. The Mens Shelter which is held at The First Presbyterian Church during the winter is in need of people to stay overnight  so that 10 men can have warm beds. If we get enough volunteers maybe the men can sleep there 6 or 7 days a week instead of 5.  You can either help with the set up from 7.30 to 9pm…putting out beds and food or  volunteers most needed are those to sleep over from 8.30 to 6.30-7am in the morning when the men leave. They need 2 volunteers every night for this.  Even once a month makes an enormous difference. It is so fabulous to be able to walk through a peaceful Washington Square Park at that time of the morning. The men snore..all very different snores, so its rather like all those cats meowing people have been making music with only a little deeper.
For those interested in finding out  more and giving your time contact Lauren at the following adress.  shelter@fpcnyc.org  and thankyou from the bottom of my heart.
With much love Linda
At The Art of Beauty by Linda Mason I made special compacts for clients to carry their most important colors around. Compacts that would look good no matter where you left them in the home. Each hand made compact has its own title and they are called “Mini Masterpieces” as they picture my original Artwork .
Making them was  such a wonderful process. Choosing the colors for the inside of the compact was fun and helpful for my clients, but the process of them selecting their compact was also a wonderful experience. They truly were buying a piece of Art and affirming their taste and personality. Many clients chose more than one. These compacts are labour intensive to make so since I no longer have the boutique I am no longer making them.
Daisy my daughter absolutely loves them and has a great collection. She will be selling the remaining Mini Masterpieces through  Instagram and her www.lindamasongallery.com email address daisy@lindamasongallery.com the $250 price will include postage and taxes.  … follow me on Instagram at lindamasonnyc and remember there will never be anymore quite like these. They will come with the colors that are shown and they will look just as good on your face as on your armoire or mantel.
Some of the actual original paintings or mixed media pieces which inspired the Mini Masterpieces are also available and you can ask Daisy about these too if you are interested and don’t see them on the site.
The Mini Masterpiece above is “Marie Sophie”. For those of you who work in the fashion industry you will know Marie Sophie Wilson. Not only a Top Model, actress and great beauty, but an intelligent warm and  generous soul. She helped me with my Elements packaging in the early 90’s and she inspired me for this painting which is replicated on the compact. The Earth Element packaging shown below was designed by Fred de Vito.
There are only two “Marie Sophie ” compacts left…no painting, it was auctioned off to raise money for the Foster Care Children and Families of The Edwin Gould Foundation.
For a number of years now I have enjoyed doing Seminars for Cuore a Japanese Cosmetic Company. They bring their Makeup Artists on a visit  in December every year. I had not done one since I closed The Art of Beauty so the last one was Dec 2012.  A friend, Hitoshi Sagaseki offered his unique Brooklyn Space BBFL at 300 7th street in Brooklyn . I was a little wary of doing something in a new space, especialy as they had requested my Freestyle makeup work,  but it worked out so well and turned out to be a great space for small seminars (12 to 13 people)…I did start out the seminar with my projections for Spring 2016 which then turned into the above. I was lucky to be able to pry Daisy away from Siraj for a couple of hours to serve as my model and have a beautiful bustier from Jane Wilson Marquis  http://janewilsonmarquis.com . Jane was watching and absolutely petrified when she saw what I was doing as the bustier was beautiful shades of soft pink and gold satin and silk which were perfect for the first 2016 makeup and also worked for the transformation . If you are in Brooklyn do visit this very special space which has a coffee shop/restaurant and a shop with lots of Japanese and made in Brooklyn products and also some wonderful Japanese events .  Brooklyn Beauty/Fashion Labo
When I first opened my boutique/Workshop, The Art of Beauty by Linda Mason  in Soho NY  in 1998. I decided to combine everything I loved. At the time everyone told me to focus  focus..and well meaning friends would come along and “merchandise” the boutique. They didn’t realize that the south facing shop filled with beautiful bright  sunlight most of the day and I had chosen it because of that beautiful light, but it meant there were certain things I just couldn’t put in the window. I didn’t tell many of my old workmates that I had opened a shop. We didn’t have facebook in 1998. But Ann Bezamat one of the beautiful models I had worked with frequently in Paris from the age of 15, most  notably with the photographer Sarah Moon, discovered the shop and came to visit me. She loved the paintings and commissioned a portrait of herself and then of her sons. These were the first commissions I had done. Ann brought me luck, as my portrait business grew quickly. You can see many of them at www.lindamasongallery.com  and I love doing them. Having a painting of someone you love is quite different from a photograph. You look at a photo and say that was then. You look at a painting and study it to find the person you thought you knew and you discover things about them and rarely think about the age they were at .
From  “Makeup for Ageless Beauty” by Linda Mason
The joys of working as a makeup artist are not just about creativity. Some of the  most memorable joys are spending time  with and getting to know so many talented, warm and generous people. This was brought back to my mind with the interview with Paulina Porizkova in the Huffington Post. The first time I worked with her she was 15 yrs old, it was with the photographer Arthur Elgort in the Tuilleries of Paris. A bright and sunny day etched  in my memory as if it was yesterday. She was so (and still is) very beautiful. I used no foundation or contouring nothing to hide or correct, she was totally flawless.  All I needed to do was use color on her lids and lips (green and orange). to enhance her bright uplifting spirit. She mentioned her origins with her usual humor  so at that time  the gravity of being a refugee  didn’t sink in and it has only just done so with what is happening in the world at the moment, and her recent article, describing what her experience was as a refugee.
After coming to the US we worked together many times and I was happy to see her extremely successful career and even happier to see her happily married and a mother of 2 boys.  I have a great polaroid of her and Ric together on the beach in Miami, at the beginning of her relationship, somewhere…not quite sure where. and I loved her novel “A Model Summer” which is still available on Amazon and I would recommend to anyone who has been or is going to be a model or for that matter anyone interested in the industry. Its a fun read.
When doing my book “Makeup For Ageless Beauty” in 2011 she didn’t hesitate to give generously of her time.
For those of you who missed “First Base” at the NYCINdieFilm Festival.You can catch it on   the ShortsHD  movie channel , www.shorts.tv  where it is premiering on 25/11/2015 at 20:00:00
Layering with clothing keeps you so warm and also can help keep you  cool as you are able to strip off slowely .  Layering with makeup is my favourite way to do makeup as it gives a depth to the end result. It is best and more easily done with pure colors as muted ones tend to become muddy, although… that can look good too. But nothing is more beautiful than the layering of glass. The beauty of glass is in the capturing of light and reflections and you can do this with the layering of sheets of  glass , glass images and glass objects I really want to keep experimenting with this. Mmm I just realized “First Base” is layered too,  this must have a meaning ..something about protection,  mystery, discovery.
As most of you now know “A Day At The Beach” was Comissioned by Sunderland University UK and exhibited at The National Glass Centre Museum from July 11th to Oct 4th. I went back to England for the dismantling of the show and was so blessed to find a fabulous new home for the large pieces at GRACE HOUSE a new Hospice for children and young adults that has just been built in the Southwick area of Sunderland. Hopefully my wonderful new friends and collaboraters from Fulwell Junior School and  NGC  will be invited to see the pieces once they are installed. I will  post pics of them soon in their new home.
I  had so much fun last night at “The Producers Club” 358 West 44th street, it  is such a great “Venue” and just to be able to have friends and contributors to “First Base” around was great. www.nycindieff.com. 4 other movies were shown along side mine and it was such an assortment. For those of you who can I highly recommend a visit to The Producers Club during this festival ,on until the 18th, a true slice of the old eternally great NY. Unfortunately my film has been shown so you won’t catch that but there are lots of other surprises .
