Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Hewett-Schisler.
Hi Angela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up creating art in many forms. I won my first award with a painting in Kindergarten. During my teen years, I discovered a love for fashion and makeup and dabbled in modeling. My favorite subjects to draw, paint, sketch, and so on are people. I love the organic curves of a face and the way different lights fall upon facial features illuminating emotions.
At 25, I became a mother, which changed my life completely. I found myself no longer having time to paint or draw and began an interest in photography. I found a new joy in children’s fashion and photographing my beautiful new daughter. A few years later, I added another child to my family and had less time available, but I missed painting. During a trip to Disney, I discovered fantasy face painting and was inspired.
I loved that it combined makeup, painting, and my love for the human face. I started a face painting business with a few friends. Shortly after that, I added another bundle of joy and had very little time for friends. I started hosting ladies nights at my home after my children went to bed. I would do makeovers for my friends and add face and body paint. I would put time and love into these makeovers and then it would all wash off. I decided to really put effort into learning photography to capture my makeup. I practiced using my children as models as I went along. This started the part of my business where I work with designers to provide photos of models wearing their clothing and accessories to use for websites and promotional needs.
One day, a friend asked me to take family portraits for her. I jumped at the opportunity to photograph children other than my own. Let me step back a moment. My mother is a practical and responsible woman who pushed me to go to school to be a teacher. It was a more secure path than becoming an artist. So I followed her suggestion to learn about children. I also worked at daycares, preschools, and as a nanny. Fast forward to when I started this family session, I discovered that my experience with children really made photographing them so easy. My friend tried to push me to add portrait photography to my repertoire. I was not confident at all. I was self-taught and self-sabotaging in my head.
Out of the blue I got a call from a stranger to set up a family shoot. Come to find out, my lovely friend had passed out my name anyway. Reluctantly I did the shoot, and the clients loved their photos. Illusions Images was born. I have now been painting and photographing amazing people for 15 years. I have worked with a few famous people and have been published multiple times. I have collaborated with fashion designers from all over the world. I am in awe of the amazing people I have worked with from my tiny studio in Carroll County.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My now five children have always taken precedence over everything. I have been blessed to be able to stay home with them and not have to rely on my business as a main source of income. This has allowed my path to flow organically.
There are times where I am inundated with bookings and times when there is nothing. I use slow times to learn more and train others, including my children. My oldest has surpassed me with her makeup skills and is a beautiful face painter. My son is an excellent face painter and a master of photography lighting. My other girls are currently learning glitter tattoos and crowd control.
Prior to covid, I trained and had nine other painters working for me over the years. My biggest struggle is learning to balance my family life and creative life.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Illusions have two separate but overlapping sides. Illusions Face and Body Art is where it all started. I offer fantasy face painting for parties and private events. My favorite part is watching the delight when someone I just painted looks into the mirror. My face painting differs from others because of my knowledge of makeup and the human face. My placement of designs on the adult face accentuates their natural beauty as great makeup would. I love to accentuate the eyes.
Illusions images offers portrait and event photography. My style is deep, emotional, and mixed with a fashion overview. My favorite shoots are when I can combine all my passions and offer styling, make-up, hair, body painting, and photography, transferring my muse into a true work of art. Just recently I discovered I am in love with Wedding photography. I am currently focussed on branching out to destination weddings.
What do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe that using and nurturing your God given talents will allow your art and passions to bloom like a spring peony. Mixing that with always searching to learn more will elevate your art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://illusionsimagesphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illusionsimages/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illusionsimages
- Other: https://illusionsweddings.mypixieset.com
