Diaspora: How did you decide to pursue the craft of makeup artistry? What motivated you? How did you get started? Jessica: I began drawing at three years old and studied fashion illustration at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was a little too structured for me...maybe even a little rigid. So, I dropped out and began working in the cosmetic department at Saks Fifth Avenue. I fell in love with it. Makeup application became synonymous with drawing on paper. A womans face became a canvas and makeup was my medium. Here I am twenty years later, painting faces for TV and film. D: What are some of your favorite TV shows and films that you have worked on? J: My first time ever working on a film set was Barbershop 2 with my mentors Beverly Jo Pryor (Makeup department head for Selma) and Karen Lynn Accattato. Its funny because after meeting them over ten years ago, Im currently working on Empire with the exact same team! I worked on Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Divergent (released in 2014), Public Enemies (2009), and the Broadway Musical Wicked (Tour 2). D: What was that like? J: Amazing! To be able to create and the see my work on the big screen and watch folks reactions is indescribable! D: How would you describe your style of makeup artisrtry. What sets you apart? J: My specialty is Beauty. I do very strong, clean beauty and glam. I don’t do heavy, drag queen makeup, LOL. D: Please explain why? J: Well, for me it’s all about enhancement and natural beauty, but also giving it an extra twist without making a person look like something that they’re not. I can sit and glam a person up all day long. Yet, there’s a fine line between doing really good makeup and making someone look crazy. It took many years to perfect my craft, unlike what most novices believe. A lot of the new makeup artists think all the have to do is drop a few bucks at the M.A.C. counter and set up a YouTube Chanel. That is SO not the case. D: This might sound funny, but are you able to watch TV shows and films and say, ‘They could have done a better job with that makeup’? J: I do all the time. Its subconscious. I dont mean to, but my eyes are trained that way. Im mainly looking at what could have been done better. Not to criticize, but to make sure my skills are always current and on point. D: what was the industry like for Blacks 20 years ago? J: When I first began, there weren’t many of us. I was accepted into the union in 2004 along with nine other African Americans. Of course, there were challenges for us like in any other line of work, however we all felt it was an opportunity to probe whatever doubts that existed with respect to Blacks working in the film industry. Today, I’m one of the very few that are blessed to work as much as I do in Chicago and abroad. Not because of my skin color, but because of my talent and work ethic. D: It took a while to get to that point? J: Oh yes. It took me about seven years to get to that. D: And now, you have a lot more company in the industry. J: Yes. D: What’s the state of African Americans in the industry? J: We still have a long way to go. There are those of us who work hard and try to represent. But there are those of us, just a few, who have these high expectations and are not willing to put in the effort. They believe that because of their skin color, they’re supposed to get a meal ticket. And sometimes, we do not support one another. We have issues within ourselves. All we have to do is work together and build each other up. We like to blame our problems on other people, but we have to quit pointing the finger and take ownership. D: It took a while to get to that point? J: Oh yes. It took me about seven years to get to that. D: And now, you have a lot more company in the industry. J: Yes. D: What’s the state of African Americans in the industry? J: We still have a long way to go. There are those of us who work hard and try to represent. But there are those of us, just a few, who have these high expectations and are not willing to put in the effort. They believe that because of their skin color, they’re supposed to get a meal ticket. And sometimes, we do not support one another. We have issues within ourselves. All we have to do is work together and build each other up. We like to blame our problems on other people, but we have to quit pointing the finger and take ownership. D: What do you look forward to in the next twenty years? J: I look forward to living on a remote island with a population of 2,000 people, in my house with a garden and a goat. Haha! D: Hahah! Sounds like a plan! J: In other words…relaxing. And just enjoying a peaceful quality of life and enjoying my accomplishments. D: Well, after twenty years, you’ve probably already earned that ideal retirement. J: Honestly, I just want to pass the torch…showing the generations after me on just how to be the best in the film and entertainment industry. D: And have you seen more interest in the industry from the next generation? J: There is. They just don’t know how to get into it, and they figure that they have to have a certain attitude or exhibit a certain behavior, but they’ve got it all wrong. Like I said, the drag queen thing…everyone wants to look like Nene Leakes. D: Uuummmm….? J: Right! D: What do you think about Lupita Nyong’o? J: I think she’s beautiful. I’m glad to see more brown skin on the set. But people need to stop making her out to be our saving grace. It’s like when we got our first Black president, and everyone thought things would be different. Then they realized it wouldn’t. Stop putting all this extra weight on her. She’s just an actress. D: Right…she’s not the first. J: Exactly…look at Diana Ross...Diahann Carroll. I wrote an article about African American women and Hollywood glam in the 1940’s. Just the limitations and the representations that we had. We had a few women of color. But still, you had to be my color or lighter, and I’m yellow. So…we’re still playing catch-up. Jessica’s extensive makeup expertise and DIY tips can be found in her e-book Its Makeup, Not Rocket Science! (WorldScout Media July 5, 2012).
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:49:12 +0000
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