Interview: Get To Know Cheryl Ann From Skin Wars

Well the crazy ride that is Skin Wars season two has finally come to an end, but the craziness isn't over just yet. A lot of the contestants were itching for more, especially this season's "villain" Cheryl Ann. Well I was luck enough to get to know her and find out she's not as hard as she came off on screen. She's actually pretty nice. Check out my fun chat with her and get to know exactly who Cheryl Ann is as a person.You'll be glad you did.

Photograph by Kevin Lynch

Whether you intended it or not you had a catchphrase this season. "Classically Trained" was said a lot, but we never really got a full explanation of what that really means.

I have always loved oil painting. When I was young I was given a tackle box kit of oils and paint brushes, and I didn't really know what it was. I just started playing with it and experimented. I really fell in love with the oil painting. When I was in my early 20s I went to live in Madrid, Spain. A friend of mine's father was an incredible painter who had a huge studio in Madrid and did a huge commission for the Bank of Spain. He made glorious paintings. It was the first time I had walked into a real artist's studio. He took me under his wing. I showed him some of my drawings, and I ended up apprenticing under him for about a year and a half. His name was Senor Javier Pamploma. Once I had studied and saw what he was doing, I knew that there was more out there; more training available. I found Ben Long IV who is a master fresco painter in North Carolina. He had a school in Asheville, and I just quit everything, all three jobs I had, because I knew that if I really wanted to bring my art career to life that I need to go to this school. I went to his school for three years. What this means is I basically worked in his studio in the art school from 9 A.M. to probably midnight every day. I learned figures, portraits, still life, murals, and many of the traditional methods used by master artists.

Training in both Europe and the US did you notice any difference in styles?

Each art teacher or painter is a little different. They give you basic techniques. They are based on the old masters, such as Leonardo DaVinci. They teach you to work with different tools. And I think Fresco is so fascinating because it's based on pure pigment. It's the same pigment that is used in body painting. When I found that out, I thought alchemy wise that it was a really incredible and unique twist for me. I love the combination.




What was the final push to get you into body painting?

Body painting came to me through Madelyn Greco, who is an amazing five time world champion. I was giving a drawing class where she was a figure model. We got to talking and she started showing me pictures of what she did for a living [bodypainting], and I just fell in love with it, and I immediately wanted to be a model. So she came out to my family home to paint me and my horse Peanut, who we had since I was a child. Once I saw what the pigments all, going back to my art school, I actually recognized them. I told her "I know how to use these!" I fell in love with body painting and fell in love with the idea that I could do this myself.

Speaking of the horses and family farm, we didn't get to hear much about that on Skin Wars either. How did your southern farming values shape your art?

I come from such a big family. I have five brothers and I'm the only girl. We each had a series of chores and things to do. We had to take care of the horses, feed them, clean the stalls, and all that. It was a working farm. We all had things to do. Growing up on a farm, I really developed a sense of a work ethic.  I learned to put my nose to the grind stone and that if you are going to do something, do it well and do it to your fullest potential. That really transitions into the body painting world of today because I take care of my models and handle the situations. I host events and coordinate, and I have the work ethic to work all day and really pull something out of it. I am so thankful for my family for giving me this drive and foundation. They support me so much. I am super blessed to have a large family that is so family. I'm also thankful for the community here in Winston-Salem, I couldn't do what I do without my community and family. I thank them for the love of art. So my family upbringing yes, but everyone has helped me so much and is proud of me.

What was it that made you want to be part of Skin Wars?

I think that being a part of Skin Wars has enabled me to push my boundaries as an artist. What will I come up with if I only have four hours to paint a huge, six-foot-two body builder? What would you do? When you push yourself outside of your comfort zone as an artist, and stop doing only what you are comfortable and push your boundaries, you will learn new things. I learned things like using airbrushes. Avi would actually come over in the work room and give me tips on airbrushing since I am more used to using brushes. Using airbrushes is a whole other tool all together. Being on Skin Wars has really broadened my horizons in a way that has enriched me in a way like nothing before. It's like boot camp for body painters.

I know that a lot of the show's contestants do a variety of art styles. Do you feel that Skin Wars has helped you make body painting a more focal point in your array of art?

Definitely. My next future project I planned to do spawned from my recent trip to Europe. I did the World Body Painting Festival. I had this idea to a live chess set, and it came true. That was actually picked up by the Austrian Chess Federation that invited me to come and do the live chess match again whenever they have their major event again in Austria as well as when they host their even in St. Louis. It's exciting because now I get the chance to travel around the world and live out my dreams. I have also been in contact with Alzaro Resort in Ibiza which is a very high class resort and art gallery. Now I am going to do a whole series of fine art paintings to be represented in her gallery, along with the possibility of a body painting show. They host a lot of fashion shows, so it will be a really beautiful flux of both my paintings and allowing body painting to shine. It's going to be the next big thing for me.

I have been following you on Facebook, and it really surprised me that you knew Lana from before the show. What was it like seeing her there on the set for the first time?

Lana and I are great friends. I first met her in 2013 at
 the Living Art America competition in Atlanta. We

Photograph by Lisa Rose

both entered as emerging artists, or people who aren't a professional. I entered with only two months of experience, and Lana entered as well. Because of our hair, my blonde and pink and her blonde and red, we started talking. I fell in love with her. How can you not love Lana and her Russian accent. She is such a doll baby. We kept in touch on social media due to our locations, and when we would see each other post, we would comment and offer suggestions. When I saw Lana at the casting day, it was like meeting an old friend again. We had the chance to connect, and I was thrilled to have her there and go on this journey with her.

Speaking of the fact that you have a smaller amount of body painting experience than most, were you intimidated walking in the room on day one?

Yes. Very much. I was actually interested in being on season one. That's why season one didn't happen for me because I had only been painting for two months at the time. Being the winner of the emerging artist category at Living Art America I was immediately launched into the world of body painting. What am I going to do next? I need a plan. It was a merger of my career, instead of focusing on fine art, now moving to body painting. I'm really glad I took that year to do things like camouflage paintings and experiment. It gave me a chance to really get on my feet and see what the game is like. I didn't know much about the competition or who all was out there in the body painting world.

Who did you feel was going to be your biggest competition on day one?

I had seen Avi's work before, and he is the sweetest, nicest guy, but when you see a master painter, you know their a master painter. He may be the most humble person in the world, but that man can paint anything. I thrive off of the art swirling around you. You can feel it in the air and it excites me to see what the artist around me are going to create.

Well for some reason Rio really seemed to think of you as his competition. What was the animosity about there?

I don't know. Rio is a great person and great artist. I have a lot of respect for him and what he does. His graffiti style is a stylized direct opposite of what I do with my still life. Each artist has a style, and Rio has a very specific style. I can't speak for anyone else, I can only speak for myself. I am thankful to have been offered to go what I've gone through and I respect everyone. It was amazing to see everyone's style come out.

There have been some very negative reactions to you from the show's fans. How do you deal with haters?

Honestly that's been very hard for me. I've never had to experience that before. I keep thinking "Ok, well that's everyone else's opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinions, but maybe it's not any of my business what their opinions are." I keep centering myself and focusing on myself. Who am I as a person? What am I doing? Where am I going? I really used the show as an opportunity for reflection. I use it to better myself and better my art. In my recent win in May in Las Angeles at Body Fine Art, I was able to create a painting for the theme of the sacred body. Instead of doing shakras or Indian or Hindu theme, I decided to focus on a global issue. I did a painting on female genital mutilation. It happens in over 29 separate countries that participate in this horrible act. I did a lot of research and watched documentaries, and I felt that I had an opportunity to spread that knowledge. I wanted to use my art to do something. I gave a visual voice to the voiceless. I centered my work for the competition around this. I can only take from the negativity and give something positive and turn it around. We are taking that painting and using the Chelko Foundation, along with Eve Ensler famous for writing the Vagina Monologues, to empower women through art. It will be sent out in multiple countries including Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt. It's an honor to help educate with my art. No matter what's happening in the world today, there are global issues that need to be brought awareness. I feel very fortunate that I am able to do this. That's how I direct negativity.

Is Skin Wars something you would do again?

Of course! You know there's a new spin off that GSN is doing called Fresh Paint. I think that's fantastic. To have another art show and to see what is coming, bringing the fine art of body painting to mainstream America. I would definitely go back. Are you kidding me? I'd love the opportunity. I'd love to have the opportunity to thank my fans and really have this art form shine. It's really coming about.

So what do you think? Did this change your mind a bit about how you perceived her previously? Well if you want to know more, keep up with her on her official Facebook page.