MEET THE ARTIST: MICKAYLA PENCE
*Top photo: Mickayla working on set as Department Head Makeup Artist for the movie “Feast of the Seven Fishes” -carefully adding a bruise to actor, Skylar Gisondo’s cheek. Bottom photo: Mickayla wearing her hand painted pickle T-shirt, sweating her ass off, and happily vending at the 2022 Dry Creek Music and Art’s Festival*
Here’s Her bio if you’re bored enough to read it
Some might say Mickayla’s your stereotypical artist with too many plants and a love for cats, but she’s so much more than that; she also has a mullet and drives a car with one of those shifty sticks (zoom zoom). Her journey as an artist has in no way been linear, but her passion to create art has been ever persistent.
In 2011, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Marshall University. Soon after graduating college, she moved to NYC and quickly realized she hated being a graphic designer for soul sucking corporate America. While combing the gigs section on Craigslist for new work opportunities, she stumbled across an open casting call for a major feature film. She went on to work as a background actor for Warner Bros “Run All Night” starring Liam Neeson. While on set, she watched the makeup artist creating movie magic and made the life changing decision to go back to school to learn about professional makeup artistry for film and television. She attended the prestigious Make Up For Ever Academy NY where she learned from world renowned artists and instructors about this unique craft and industry.
Upon graduating from the Master’s Artistry Program, she earned a position as ambassador for the Make Up For Ever brand - demoing at trade shows and schools both within the states and internationally. Before returning to her home state of West Virginia, she lived and worked in the bustling grind of NYC spending an obscene amount of hours/days/months/years on set making movies, working with celebrities, and eating a lot of BBQ chips from craft services. In 2020, when the entire movie industry shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself in a state of contradiction - worried about the trajectory of her livelihood while also feeling at peace with being able to finally slow down and smell the flowers.
Instead of hopelessly twiddling her thumbs, she began to bend wire with them. This shift back to her roots and the breathtaking wonders of the Appalachian Mountains provided the inspiration she needed to transition her hobby of jewelry making into a blossoming new career. As an artist, she is both humbled and entranced by the beauty of the natural world. The symmetry, colors, and textures found in nature are truly remarkable and her goal is to encapsulate this unique beauty into pieces of wearable art. Half the fun of making this type of jewelry, is immersing oneself in the woods foraging for flowers, feathers, butterflies, and other found objects. You never know what treasures you may find! Her jewelry collections range widely using collaging methods with magazine clippings, photographs, real pressed flowers, butterfly wings, gemstones, precious metals, and eco resin. No two pieces are ever alike and she prides herself in making truly one-of-a-kind pieces.
Today, she still works as a makeup artist for movies, television, and commercials, but is a bit more particular with which productions she works on since the pandemic. When she’s not on set heading her department, she spends her time metalsmithing, snuggling her devious tuxedo cat, Carl, and continuously finding inspiration while foraging in picturesque Appalachia.
The end.
Thanks for taking the time to read her novel.
*Note - ALL butterflies used in the making of Mick’s Media Jewelry have passed via natural causes; either found or purchased from reputable conservatories. Please do not kill butterflies or any living thing – remember, they have families too.*
