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| OK, so check this out. I met a model named Melina way back in 2003. A photographer named OD introduced me to her and told me that she was interested in doing a bodypainting photoshoot. It was late November and I had the idea of doing a Christmas theme. The project was fairly simple since I just painted her in a red bustier and white stockings, but the Santa hat and Christmas tree in the background really set the scene. Her hair and make-up looked perfect and she did a wonderful job of modeling and we got some really awesome shots. Here are a few of the shots including the one that made it into my 2004 Bodypainting Calendar.
  
At the end of the shoot, I found out that Melina was moving out of state and planned to get into a women's wrestling organization. I occasionally touched bases with her after that. At one point she contacted me about painting her all green to portray She-Hulk, but we couldn't arrange a time. I checked her website occasionally to see what she was up to and read that she was moving up in the wrestling world and then I saw her picture in a Women of Wrestling Magazine. It looked like she was doing really well. I must confess that I don't follow wrestling so I had no idea just how successful she had gotten.
Fast forward to February 2007. Melina sends me an e-mail saying that she is going to be coming through Phoenix in a couple of days and wondered if I might be available for a last minute bodypainting session. We e-mailed back and forth a couple of times and I found out that she wanted to be painted gold. Eventually I called her to work out the details of the photo session. I said, "so you want to be painted gold, huh?" She said, "Yeah, to go with my belt." I must have seemed like an idiot at this point, but I asked what belt? She said that she won the Women's Championship last month. I congratulated her, but I was still wondering what Women's Championship she was talking about.
As the conversation continued, she wanted to confirm that I was available on Monday morning. I asked if it had to be in the morning, knowing that I would have to take a couple hours off of work. She responded that that was the only time she had available and that the people she was travelling with were only in town for the day. I still had no idea of what was going on.
I mentioned that I didn't have a studio so we'd have to figure out a place to shoot. She said, "We really need to do the painting at the arena since that's where the photographers would be set up." Arena? Then with one sentence she set my mind reeling. She said, "Down at the U.S. Airways Arena, that's where we will be filming WWE Monday Night RAW that evening." Oooh!
So I finally figured it out. She was the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Women's Champion. I googled her name and found out that she had just taken the belt on February 19th, 2007. I also found out that she had become quite the celebrity and was known round the world as a WWE Diva.
Fast forward again to Monday morning in the Phoenix Mercury locker room in the belly of US Airways Center. I see Melina for the first time in over 3 years and she looks awesome. She is so soft spoken in person compared the the wild persona that she portays for the arena. Because we are painting, we are moved into a tiny laundry room across the hall. Johny Nitro stops by to say hello and many other WWE celebrities are roaming around. I had been brainstorming a few ideas for the bodypainting and although she would have been content with a simple gold bodypainting, I just couldn't keep it that simple. I looked at the belt and noticed that it had a ring of barb wire etched in the gold plate and there is also an outline that looks like shattered glass. I decided to incorporate these two elements into the design.
The first step of the painting was to make a painted-on thong with black liquid latex followed by an airbrushed coating of "14 karat" gold bodypaint by Reel Creations. The glitter was applied next with spirit gum and then the barbed wire was hand painted on with Wolfe Brothers paints. With a little time to spare, I tackled the WWE logo on Melina's back. Here are a few shots taken by WWE photographers that were posted on www.wwe.com website.
After a stint with the hair and make-up artist Melina was turned over to photographer John Giamundo. I couldn't believe that they were able to track down some barbed wire to use in the photoshoot and then they piled up some photography flight cases that were a brilliant shade of yellow. Here are the rest of the shots that were published on the WWE.com website.
The photographer took the majority of images, but while on the sidelines I snuck in a few shots here and there. Here are a few of my shots.
Here is the little article that was included on the www.wwe.com website to accompany the photos:
Diva Dish: Golden globes
By Jen Hunt and Kara A. Medalis
Written: March 16, 2007
Melina’s body became an artist’s canvas recently, when Phoenix body painter, Mark Greenawalt, adorned the Women’s Champion’s sexy curves backstage at a Raw live event.
“I got airbrushed from head-to-toe,” she said. “Everything was to my skin, so it looked like I was completely naked, but I had paint all over my body.”
Melina told Diva Dish she’s had her body painted by Greenawalt in the past, and she’s a big fan of his work. This time, Greenawalt decorated her back with the WWE logo.
“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have him paint my body, too. Because I won the Women’s Championship, I wanted to do something different, something that no other Diva has done with the Championship,” Melina said.
The WWE Superstars’ were surprised to see Melina’s sexy paint job. But she wasn’t shy about showing off her decorated body.
“Everyone thought it was weird that I was covered in gold paint. People were shocked. There were certain people who I knew would give me a shocking look. I didn’t say anything; I just opened up the towel,” she purred.
“I was like a flasher for a day, but yet it was safe because I was covered up, so I didn’t feel naked!”
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You can also check out some of the latest info, pictures, and videos of Melina at http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/melina/ . One of the things that you can find there is a blog written by Melina entitled Confessions of a True Diva. Here below is one of the blogs that mentions her bodypaintings that I have done. You can find it on the WWE site at http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/melina/internetconfessions/031907 .
Internet Confessions of a True Diva, No. 4
By Melina
Written: March 19, 2007
This week: Lashing back at Ashley’s recent WWE.com blog, “Little Miss Playboy” gets some more choice words from the Women’s Champion.
The name of my blog is Internet Confessions of a True Diva, and you are right Ashley, I’m the biggest Diva you will ever meet, and the most dominant Diva the wrestling world will ever know.
As you may have guessed, I’m going to respond to your blog, which seemed to be a pathetic attempt to put me in my place, kind of like the moment you try to wrestle me. What another pathetic attempt that will be! Now you say my attitude has changed since I won the title, where have you been? Oh I forgot, you brag about yourself so often you don’t notice the rest of the wrestling world. My attitude has been the same since I’ve been with WWE, just like your wrestling skills.
You are telling me that I’m not Trish or Lita, not a seven-time Women’s Champion, well, neither are you. I never claimed to be, nor do I want to be, either of them. Maybe YOU do. You sure look like a cross between Lita and Trish. You’re blonde and you dress like Lita. Well baby girl, I am a new Diva that WWE has never seen before.
It’s funny how you called my blogs ridiculous and juvenile rants. If you are such a great person, why did you do the exact same thing? Why stoop down to my level if you are so above it? You said you, “couldn’t give two s**** about me.” Then why did you write that blog?
You wrote about how down to earth you are, well, you don’t need to convince me, Ashley. You and everyone else knows I don’t care. Wait, are you trying to convince the fans, or maybe yourself, that you are?
I called you out? What? Look who has the ego. Doing Playboy didn’t just grow you a set of balls to come after my Women’s Championship, but it’s making you think that you are someone of importance. Anyone with TiVo will tell you that I never said I was jealous of you doing Playboy. I’ve been offered to do it, and it’s not my deal. The problem I have, is that you came to my show and you threw your little Playboy princess parties! So I guess you can say it’s the attention. I won the Women’s Championship! I’m sorry if that means something to me! I’m sorry if I believe that it deserves more attention than you.
You are so proud to be on Playboy. Good for you. Again, not my thing.
There’s a reason why I don’t do it. Guys go up to Nitro and tell him he’s a lucky bastard. They will always wonder, and imagine how I’d look naked. As for you, they may tell your man he is lucky (ha ha ha…as if!), but they will also say, “Hey! I, along with the rest of world, have seen your girl naked! I see what you see every night, and every single day too!”
For me, my body is sacred; my man’s gift for being with me, along with what I can do. Go ahead, talk down about my ring entrance, honey. Nitro has no complaints.
Oh my God! You are trying to get me on the body paint photos? I’ve been into body paint for years — before you did Playboy. Don’t give yourself that much credit. It seems like someone is trying to take every little thing I say or do and make it all about them. Do you really think you are that special? It seems like "Little Miss Playboy" stays awake at night angry about every little thing I do.
I admit, you are on my nerves, and I am thinking of you often since you put down that challenge for my title. I think of how you will soon regret it, and how I’m going to give you the beating of your life. I’m going to enjoy every second of it. I CANNOT wait for the moment I am able to get you back for every time you laid your hands on me. I’m going to teach you to think before you open your mouth. Unlike you, I CAN back it up.
You say it’s not about Playboy, it’s about the Championship. Well, “Little Miss Determination,” why do you keep talking about Playboy more than the Championship? Me…. I’m ALL about the Championship.
Give me the fight of my life, Playboy cover girl! I want it. I’m begging for it! I don’t think you realize that I live for the fight. Getting hit in the face and my hair pulled drives me. It will make me want to kick your @$$ that much more.
What I hear from you is all talk. Blah blah blah.. If you actually believe all that rambling you are saying, then come April Fool’s Day in Detroit, the joke will be on you. At WrestleMania, I’m going to show you that there is a big difference between fine wine, and a cheap glass of generic soda.
The Most Dominant Diva,
~Melina~
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