Courses

Shona Duffy

Design for Stage + Screen

Hi, I’m Shona! I am a Character Makeup Designer and Artist graduate with a desire to create and a passion to bring my designs to life. Art has been a mode of communication and expression for me and how I view the world my entire life, this then translating into my makeup. My knowledge and skills range from that of beauty makeup, research, moodboards, to SFX makeup. I adore working with the individuals in the makeup chair, getting to know them, keeping them comfortable, and working together as a team to create something truly beautiful.

*Final Film Poster -Findabhair & Finvarra This is my visualisation, adaptation and creative expression of The Hunters Moon, O R Melling. My reasoning behind choosing this piece is firstly my fascination with Irish Mythology and Folklore of which this book is bursting at the seams. Secondly the piece echoes a journey taken in my own life. The text begins in Dublin taking us across the wild and wonderful landscape of Ireland to West, The Burren, County Clare. Almost in reverse of the text, I moved from Clare to Dublin to complete my third level education. Living up in this urban jungle with sparse greenery, a far cry from the rolling hills and fields of home. Designing and creating this piece pays homage to my childhood, my upbringing, my home.

*Final Film Poster - Fairy Folk* The idea behind the design for *The Fairy Folk* is to create magic in reality. My desire to create something at first appears 'normal' and yet at second glance one realises there is something different, a mystery. This posed as a challenge to refine the designs, to not go overboard but still do enough to create that 'something'. Many accounted sightings of *The Good People* they appear just like you and I, and yet not. The colour palette is chosen from the deep greens, greying blues, and earthy browns of Irish Landscape. Stippled across the skin, an illusion that the same brush used to paint the landscape touched them. The Celtic symbols upon the foreheads of these ethereal beings came about from my deep grá for old Irish traditional art, the detail of the woven threads all telling a story. It was essential to include them in my piece.

*ForeHead Flat Plate Process* Designed, sculpted, applied and painted by myself. Gelatine Prosthetics applied to *Fairy Folk*

*Ear Prosthetic Process* Gelatine Prosthetics Created for *Finvarra, Fairy Folk*

*Nose Prosthetic Process* Designed, Casted, Moulded, Sculpted, Applied, Painted by myself for *Finvarra*

*Gwen & Dara* Gwen a naive cautious Canadian comes over to Ireland to visit her cousin Findabhair and embark on an adventure to find a gateway to the otherworld, Fairy Land. Across her travels Gwen meets and falls madly in teenage love with Dara, a heart throb King of Donegal. The transition between the youthful innocent glow with adventure and new love afoot to the stark contrast as the two find themselves battling alongside the Seven Angels *italics* in a valiant effort to save Tír na nÓg.

*Katie & Mattie* **“Always trust the red head.”** Katie and Mattie are two fellow believers, those whom believe fairies exist, Gwen meets along her travels. Each of them help her journey on and come at her beckoning call to fight for the mythical realm they claim to believe in. The two redheads battle proving their loyalty and determination to save the world they hold dear.

The Hunters Moon

The Hunters Moon, O R Melling, is an Irish tale of two cousins adventure to find the mythical land of the fairies. Along their adventures Findabhair is taken by the Fairy King, Finvarra, connected by fate and name. Leaving her cousin Gwen to fend for herself across the rolling countryside of Ireland, overcome the cunning trickery of The King, discover the warrior within, and meeting friends along the way. The adventures coming to a head at a mighty battle to save Tír na nÓg from the giant beast, Crom Cruac. The piece takes you on a magical journey from Dublin to the Burren, Co. Clare, a place close to my heart as I grew up in Clare and spent many a Sunday jumping along the limestone pavement. I took on the challenge to create a varying cast, with a total of sixteen looks, to show my ability to design, create and produce a cohesive piece. Moving forward this piece will stand as a testament to my skill and ability to work as an independent designer.
To have the honour to bring a true sense of self and home into my work is something many artists strive for, I believe I have done this.

Thesis PDF

How Art Impacted The Seven Demands of Feminism in Reference to Artists Judy Chicago and Rupi Kaur, Through The Lens of Menstruation

The aim of this thesis is to identify and examine the seven demands of feminism, outlining the history of feminist liberation and waves of feminism that influenced the work of two artists, Judy Chicago and Rupi Kaur, with reference to society’s views on the menstruating body. Research and analysis is conducted on two selected pieces of work by Chicago and Kaur, in an effort to see how varying medias of art have made an impact on shifting societies perspectives on the natural process of menstruation, exploring how contemporary society reacts to menstruation in contrast to decades prior, with major focus on the 1970s and 2010s. Throughout this thesis I will be revisiting the unmet demands of feminism, to further communicate the necessity for change and continued activism for equality. This thesis considers an overarching question: is art merely something beautiful or can it hold a statement part as of a larger conversation in our society?

Thesis PDF

Character MakeUp Design

2021 2022 2023 2024

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