S O F T   S H O U L D E R

It had been nearly 13 years since I had graduated from Penn State when I recieved a call from Scottsdale writer Janice Arenofsky.  She was contacted by the university's alumni association to write an article about me for their May/June issue of the magazine The Penn Stater.  To my surprise, their main interest wasn't in where my B.S. degree had taken me in the field of electrical engineering.  The fact that at 35-years-old I am the vice-president of an established engineering consulting firm was only briefly mentioned.  Instead they were more interested in hearing about my more recent endeavors in the world of bodypainting.  Cool!

Below you will find the article that Janice wrote based on our interview and other information she was able to find about me on the internet.  They needed a picture of me to accompany the article so I scheduled a photoshoot and bodypainting session with international fitness and bikini model Melony Lynn (www.melonylynn.com) and photographer Don Crossland (www.sexycrazycool.com).  I was looking for something that would be like a headshot but that would also showcase my work.  I had had this idea for a soft shoulder road sign for quite some time and I thought that it would work out great for the magazine since it's almost like a little tattoo and the model could be completely covered.

For this project I used Totally Tattoo paints from Badger Airbrush, the Spectrum 2000 color changer from Silent Aire, an Iwata BC airbrush, a Badger oiless air compressor,  and homemade stencils. 

Now, without further adieu, here is the article and a few other pictures from the photosession below it.  Enjoy!

Body Beautiful

by Janice Arenofsky

 

 

The Penn Stater, May/June 2002, page 49

Mark Greenawalt '89 Eng, an electrical engineer in Phoenix, Ariz., paints naked women. But it's not a fetish. Greenawalt's interest in airbrushing models with latex paint -- called body painting -- evolved naturally from his involvement with nude drawing, fantasy art, and photography. And not all of his models are naked, anyway: "Some of my models are clothed, and I just paint their back or arm," Greenawalt says. "I've also painted several men's upper torsos and faces. I try to make my art artistic, not pornographic." So far it's also without profit: "I see it more as a hobby," says Greenawalt, whose day job is as an electrical engineer and vice president of a consulting firm.

The process of live painting takes two to five hours, provided the model's skin doesn't become oily, sweaty, or goosebumpy. The images he paints onto the skin include clothing, animals, murals, and abstract designs. Greenawalt then photographs the finished paintings at scenic locales.

His credits include Swimsuit Illustrated, several online magazines, Airbrush Action Magazine, Good Morning Arizona, and live demos at local clothing boutiques and other settings. His goal is to break into the national world of print magazines, CDs, advertising, and TV. He's also determined to take body painting from its "alternative" roots into the mainstream. His professionalism -- no "ogling," no unnecessary touching -- may speed that process. Says Greenawalt: "I'd like to do a live demo at the Museum of Modern Art in New York." --Janice Arenofsky

Here are two additional pictures from the photoshoot (click to enlarge)

Click here to subscribe to The Green Pages, Mark's monthly newsletter.


This page has been designed and maintained by FUTURE-CLASS X PUBLISHING.
Photography c2002 Don Crossland, Bodypainting by Mark Greenawalt c2002
FUTURE-CLASS X PUBLISHING

Please send comments to:  mark@futureclassx.com