WORK OF ART: PAINT
Sometimes you get an idea, original or not, that you want to try. Mixing art, in this case, paint and photography, has always been something that I wanted to attempt. I was just waiting for the right time, or better said, the right person to collaborate with to make it happen. I found the right person in front of the camera... Cassie Kerns. I first connected with Cassie when she was chosen to be part of our "Bare It All: Ink" session because of the artwork on her body. Little did I know what kind of talent this tall, beautiful women possessed, or that her heart was even bigger than the impressive heart tattoo inked on her back. After capturing her beauty, witnessing her quick wit, and seeing her amazing artwork online and at a RAW artshow we were both showcased in, I had mentioned to her that I'd always wanted to do a photoshoot with paint, She had as well, so "Work of Art: Paint - Photos - Wine" became a reality. I wanted to take the wine and canvas concept to a new level, so I found women who wanted to allow Cassie to make their bodies a work of art, and then use their bodies to paint on canvas. Here is what we all created together...
Photography by Ben - Painting by Cassie
About Cassie: Also known as Cassinova, Kerns was born in Valparaiso, Indiana. Kerns works predominantly in the medium of painting, but loves to experiment and explore with all other art mediums, such as photography, mixed media, collage, writing, sculpture, and functional art. Kerns completed a BFA in photography, from the University of Connecticut in 2010, while playing college basketball for the prestigious UCONN Huskies.
Her artwork is her vehicle to communicate thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are often too difficult to put into words. Her purpose is to bare her heart and soul to the world, in order to balance the internal with the external, making in congruencies congruent.
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To see more of Cassie's work visit www.cassinovastudios.com and her Cassinova Studios Facebook page.
"What I love most about this shoot is the transformation. The therapeutic process. The story of beginning to end. When each woman walks in, they dont know what to expect nor what to do. They put the trust into a complete stranger to get up close and personal with their bodies, which most women are severly ashamed of and disconnected with, including myself. But to talk to and discuss life and watch and feel their walls come down is a magical process. To watch and witness my canvas transform physically, but most importantly emotionally brings me peace and satisfaction. To witness these women come alive with just paint makes my heart full. I would say this to each of them... That energy and empowerment you felt during this shoot is there with you everyday. You just have make the choice to see that you are a masterpiece. I was just the vessel to point it out to you. The bare raw empty canvas comes alive when you spend time with and put your energy into it. Through the paint brush I am able to give life to something that needed to be shown it had life the whole time." - Cassie - Artist
TESTIMONIALS
"I felt like the Work of Art: Paint experience would be a great opportunity for me to express myself and capture all my hard work with losing weight. It seriously was the best feeling! I felt so beautiful and empowered. After the shoot I was on a high. I felt so free so beautiful and just accepting everything about my body and not being ashamed of it at all. I was over the moon with excitement when I first laid my eyes on what we created. It's crazy because I am the smallest I have ever been in my life but I learned to love myself when I was at my heaviest I guess just accepting myself and loving myself helped me get healthy and the weight just fell off... weird but true. The edited pictures were perfection! Can't thank you guys enough! The process of a canvas being made from my body was such a cool experience. It turned out way better then I I could've ever imagined. It's truly is a "Work of Art"" - Jasmine
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"I love art, so it seemed liked an amazing experience to be covered in paint and feel sexy and confident. I was nervous at first, but it soon became freeing and fun. The canvas with the paint from my body is nice abstract piece of art, and was nice to have it to take home!" - Shanon​
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"Work of Art: Paint was a unique shoot unlike any others I had done. I was extremely pleased with how the photos turned out and excited to share. I love the canvas! I think it will make a great addition to some photo prints from the shoot when hanging on my wall" - Christina
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"It was so much fun the first time I did the paint shoot that I didn't want to miss out on another one. I love that I get a few different styles of each of my edited images. It is a great experience to be able to see yourself through someone else's eyes. I love my canvas that Cassie created with the paint from body! I can hang it next to my personal paintings as a constant reminder of my fun day of being painted." - Heather
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"The paint shoot sounded fun, and it was an amazing time! I would definitley do it again. The photos make you feel awesome, and the canvas Cassie created is perfect!" - Rachel​
TESTIMONIALS
"I am not an artistic person, so when the canvas shoot came up, I jumped at the chance to become art. I have never felt as confident, free, or as beautiful as I did covered in nothing but paint. I wanted to stay colorful forever! This is one of the shoots I will be doing again and again." - Berry
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"Exhilarating, Alive and Beautiful from the inside out! My canvas Cassie created is a priceless work of art that has all kinds of positive meaning and emotions behind it!" - Christine W.
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"It felt amazing to be painted and become a work of art." - Jen
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"I had a great time! I felt so comfortable and free. I also felt like it was a unique experience. Anyone can put on lingerie, but to have an artist paint your body makes it one of a kind. I was so grateful that Ben and Kaitlyn were able to guide me into poses that i wouldn't have thought of. The canvas Cassie created is hanging on the wall and everytime i look at it, it reminds me of this wonderful experience." - Leslie
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"I thought it would be fun to paint a canvas with my body! but Ben, Kaitlyn, and Cassie made it a fun, judgement free environment to become a work of art! The paint adds another level of depth to the photos, and the canvas has great artistic quality and a fun reminder of the experience." - Sarah
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"It is such a freeing experience. Nothing compares to being painted and getting to show your inner self. Being ecstatic doesn't start to describe how extremely excited I was about seeing the photos. Seeing yourself in a different light is such a remarkable feeling! The canvas Cassie created sits in my office at work and serves as my inspiration and my motivation to continue to be my original self." - Katlyn
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"I have a hard time feeling sexy in the traditional sense of the word. This shoot felt incredibly authentic to me and the fun nature of it exemplified who I am rather than having me feel like I was trying to fit a mold that I don't fit into. I felt so comfortable being painted and my confidence in my body grew with each brush stroke and puff of glitter, but I never felt like I was being covered or hiding behind anything. I've never been so excited to see pictures of myself. I am so proud of them and have shared them with just about everybody I know. I've spent so many years trying to hide my body and cover up; it's an indescribable feeling to free myself from that and show off what I'm proud of. I've even decided to get several of them printed on canvases to hang in my bedroom. I always want to remember how kick ass I am and always be proud of stepping (leaping) outside of my comfort zone." - Katie
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"What a great experience! Its good for women to embrace their bodies. To feel sexy and attractive. To be exposed and vulnerable is not easy, but women should celebrate their feminine bodies. Cassie is an amazing artist and even more importantly she is a beautiful person inside and out. I love the editing of the photos. Ben & Kaitlyn know how to highlight all your best features and make you feel beautiful! The canvas was a nice little memento to remember the session and a good reminder anytime you feel unsure or insecure about yourself. And it's almost like a happy little secret that makes me smile when I look at it." - Jennifer
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"Cassie makes you so comfortable and gives you colors that matches your personality!" - Christine J
TESTIMONIALS
"I loved the way the paint looked when Cassie was finished and it was lots of fun actually playing with the paint on my body to create something new and individual to me!! I had so much fun, and this was by far the best shoot I've ever done!" - Jules
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"It was also extremely exhilarating to painted on and become a work of art! It's such a rare thing to be a part of a shoot that lets women express themselves in such a creative way. It made me feel beautiful, empowered, exotic, and playful all at once." - Lora
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"It was amazing. The paint added to my body, and my nakedness let me express myself and personality in a way I feel I have never been able to do in my other photo shoots" - Amanda
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"It was exhilarating being painted. Cassie figured my personality out so she could make my body paint unique to me. It was a freeing experience. Beautifully done by Cassie, Ben and Kaitlyn. My framed canvas is a reminder that I can hang in my living room." - Heather
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"I am an artist so the shoot caught my eye and I was trying to boost my self confidence. It felt awesome and empowering and made me feel beautiful!" - Alyx
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"I was the most comfortable I have ever been during a photoshoot. I've been through a lot with my body and showing it off takes a lot of anxiety on my end, but I had no problems with Cassie, Ben, & Kaitlyn. My photos turned out great. I'm still so obsessed with them and I definitely want to do the next one!" - Abbie