Tomorrow we turn the pages and reveal the next issue of OPALUS. But before we do, I wanted to extent a last farewell to The Colorful Mind of a Surrealist issue, as it was such a special issue for me, both creatively and personally.

Surrealism has always been my favourite "style" of art, and I felt like my mind travelled the furthest it ever has gone into the world of surrealism and it felt so good! I feel as though new pathways in my creative process and perspective have been revealed ever since, which I am so excited to explore and share with you all in the preceding issues of OPALUS.

I approached model and makeup artist, Paul Leszczynski, with the concept of this shoot after being intrigued by his energy last season at WCFW. Something meant to be, as the collaborative process between the two of us was a truly magical one. Therefore, I felt it was important to to share some of the process behind creating the last cover image and the series that it within the issue.

To accompany this interview are never before seen images from the shoot that did not make it into the issue, and the official announcement that a very special FASHION FILM "The Colorful Mind of a Surrealist" is scheduled to premiere at Western Canada Fashion Week on both April 1 and 4th!

Enjoy!

Editor and Creative Director,

Malorie Shmyr

MALORIE SHMYR

Out of the four looks created for this shoot, was there one in particular that stood out for you?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

Originally during the planning process and coming up with looks, the water droplet, pink and blue, look was the stand out for me. It felt very experimental and sort of just manifested during the application in the practice stages. After seeing the final images though, the purple beard look really stands out. I was really hoping to achieve something with this look, I wanted to have a ton of makeup on my face, but still project a very masculine energy. After seeing the photos I think I achieved exactly what I was going for.

MALORIE SHMYR

I finds the creative process fascinating, did something happen during the shoot that was unexpected, or exceptionally inspiring for you?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

The last look we shot, which ended up on the cover, really surprised me. Makeup wise I felt like the look didn’t quite fit in with the other 3 as much and I wasn’t sure how it would translate in the photos. During the actual shoot though, It was like we couldn’t stop thinking of new things to try and just kept vibing off of each other. In retrospect, standing on a ladder, precariously holding a mirror while blowing sugar crystals around and looking deeply into the camera seems rather strange. At the time, however, it felt totally natural, with all the creative juices flowing I didn’t want to stop! The photos from this look, for me, ultimately became the foundation for the series and brought everything together cohesively, not at all what I anticipated.

MALORIE SHMYR

Tell us what it is like to be both the makeup artist and the model, was this challenging?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

It definitely had its challenges. I’m more proficient with makeup application on others than on myself so, completing each look in a reasonable amount of time was tough.

I really did enjoy being the model as well as the makeup artist. I think being in both roles was a big part of the success of the collaboration. One of the challenges for me personally, as a makeup artist, is to give up control when I’m done with the makeup. It was very fulfilling to be able to see it through to the end and have a major impact on the final result of how my makeup work was shown. Plus, I’m not exactly shy so I didn’t mind being the center of attention either.

MALORIE SHMYR

The creative energy flying through the room on this two day shoot was truly something special for me. I loved seeing you in your creative zone applying the makeup on yourself. Tell us where is your mind at when you are creating.

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

During the application I’m thinking about the shoot and how the final result is going to look. It’s a lot of me imagining facial expressions and probably making weird faces at the same time. For this shoot, it was a lot like getting into character and it brought me back to my theatre days in high school.

MALORIE SHMYR

What does your imagination land look like?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

It’s just like real life but I can fly and everything is in music-video-vision. If I imagine myself it also usually involves an ongoing slow motion entrance and lip syncing. Especially with makeup, no matter what it’s for, I always think about how it would look in a music video, or rather I take my music video vision from my head and try to bring it into the real world.

MALORIE SHMYR

When creating do you have a favorite beverage you like to have?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

Really, when I’m working on anything, I’m usually drinking water. I love water. But if it’s morning time (or I’ve just woken up at some aggressively late hour) I love me a London fog or even just earl grey tea.

MALORIE SHMYR

What colors are inspiring you most lately?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

Black is a constant inspiration in everything. Deep, royal purple and lavender are my go to, actual colour, colours but for the most part I’m all about the neutrals and grays. Makeup wise, I have been loving experimenting with bright coloured eyebrows, really unnatural colours and finishes like deep teal or liquid metallic gold.

MALORIE SHMYR

What can we expect to see creatively from you in the future?

PAUL LESZCZYNSKI

WIGS. I’ve recently dived into the world of wig making, not for sale, but more for fun/art. So far I’ve been pretty successful, I even made the black wig with the bangs that I’m wearing in OPALUS. I have tons of ideas for wigs I want to make and corresponding makeup looks. I’m sure there’ll be photos and maybe even a show at Western Canada Fashion Week next year if I’m lucky.

CHECK OUT THE FULL SERIES IN THE LAST ISSUE BELOW, AND DON'T MISS THE FASHION FILM PREMIERE OF THE COLORFUL MIND OF A SURREALIST APRIL 1 AND 4TH AT WESTERN CANADA FASHION WEEK! GET YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!