Create Photos That Stand Out!

Makeup and body paint by Dancing Canvas artist Melissa Avalon. Model has dark apocalyptic makeup and face paint, tattoos, and a necklace, holding a hammer, looking out from an abandon diner with a sign that says the business is closed.

Make Believe & Magic

Create stunning images that are a cut above the rest with makeup art, body paint, and photography styling services by visual artist Melissa Avalon. From concept to execution bring any fantasy ideas to life.

Combining costume pieces, props, prosthetics, makeup, and body painting Melissa has collaborated with creative teams and photographers to create one of a kind works of art.

Photo by Jim Russo Photography
Model Lindsey Cline

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Makeup by Dancing Canvas artist Melissa Avalon on Model Mary Avalon wearing a vibrant orange dress with bold colorful makeup in a high fashion design standing in a field at sunset with another model looking at each other.

Styling That Grabs Attention

Photography styling is an art form that arranges and composes elements within a photograph to create something visually appealing.

Melissa collaborates with creative teams on selecting props, location, lighting, and colors, as well as considering composition, wardrobe, hair, and makeup. Create a magical and enchanting photograph that enhances your subject, conveys a theme, and catches the eyes of your audience.

Photo by Blissful Moments Photography

Models Mary Avalon (left) & Lisa Stepp (right)

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Portfolio

Pop Art Diner

Melissa Avalon, Grace Drinkwater, and Ginny Cummings were the creative team for this project.

The concept was to create a pop art iconic look. Melissa used makeup and body paint to turn Model Grace Drinkwater into a comic book drawing. Captured by Ginny photographer Ginny Cummings found the perfect dress from Silhouette Vintage and took these gorgeous shots at Delux Town Diner in Watertown MA.

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Makeup and body paint by artist Melissa Avalon on Model Grace Drinkwater in a comic book pop art style, sitting at a bar with a pink milkshake with a straw, in a colorful cafe setting.

Wildflower Fashion

Melissa Avalon, Erika Kerns, Mary Avalon and Lisa Stepp were the creative team for this project.

The concept was to create a fashion imagery in the middle of a wildflower field. Photographer Erika Kerns of Blissful Moments Photography supplied the dresses and sourced the location. Melissa applied colorful high fashion makeup to model Mary Avalon and provided pose and styling assistance on location at the wildflower fields in Baker FL.

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Colorful high fashion makeup by artist Melissa Avalon on model Mary Avalon as she wears an orange dress and poses with another model during sunset.

Forrest Folk

Melissa Avalon, Adam Canvas Giangregorio, Magan Afon Art, Mary Avalon, and Hakim Muhamad made up the creative team for this project.

The concept was for Melissa, Adam, and Megan to paint and style Mary and Muhamad as creatures that were part of the forest. Shooting in the stunning scenery of the Minuteman Trail in Lexington Photographer Megan Afon Art took and edited these gorgeous photos.

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A person with a face and body blending into a natural landscape of greenery and white flowers, creating a camouflage or artful nature-inspired portrait.

Mushroom Goodess

Melissa Avalon, Mary Avalon, and Alex Rea were the creative team for this project.

The concept was to create a ethereal makeup look with mushroom special fx. Melissa used air dry clay to sculpt a set of shelf mushroom style prosthetics. She applied makeup and body paint along with the prosthetics to model Mary Avalon and transformed her into a earthy nymph of decay and rebirth. Published photographer Alex Rea took these gorgeous shots at Ponce de Leon Springs State Park in Ponce de Leon FL.

A woman standing in a shallow body of water, holding a twisted wooden stick in one hand, with a forest background. She is wearing a dark, sleeveless, laced-up leather dress and has tattoos on her legs. Her head is tilted back, and she is touching her forehead with her other hand.
A woman with short gray hair partially submerged in a dark water body, reaching out with her hand, with a misty, forested background and sunlight filtering through the trees.
A woman with short blonde hair and a necklace is standing in a body of water outdoors, holding up the sides of her white dress, with trees and blurred lights in the background.
A woman with short gray hair in a white dress is kneeling in a body of water, holding a stick with her right hand, surrounded by trees in natural sunlight.
A woman with elaborate purple and gold face paint and makeup, wearing jewelry, a flower in her hair, and a dark blue dress, looking directly into the camera outdoors.

Purple Dragon

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon
    Photographer: Megan Afon Art
    Model: Corrie Masison

  • It all began with an idea to create a series of dragon style makeup looks. Melissa presented the concept to photographer Megan Afon Art and along with model Corrie Masison the Purple Dragon was born. She crawled out of a patch of ivy in the backyard of a private residence in Dorchester Ma.

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A woman holding an orange glow ball in her hand, with her face partially obscured, and wearing a headpiece made of bright red and orange shiny material that looks like flames or fire, against a dark background.

Eruption

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon
    Photographer: Tony Austin
    Model: Laura Tompkins

  • From deep below the earth this lava firecracker was waiting to be unleashed. Melissa used makeup and body paint to create this look as well creating the head piece and styling model Laura Tompkins hair. Tony Austin shot and edited these molten hot images out of his photography studio and home in Northern Maine.

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A woman with short dark hair and elaborate face and neck decorations, wearing a pearl necklace and a golden tiara, posing outdoors with a mystical atmosphere.

Siren Song

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon
    Photographer: Megan Afon Art
    Models: Lindsey Cline, Chandra Akerblom, Jason

  • Not all mermaids are good and these 2 are ready to lure unsuspecting sailors to the depths. This creative team all worked together to create the costumes and styles. Melissa was responsible for the makeup looks on all 3 models Lindsey Cline, Chandra Akerblom, and Jason. Melissa also assisted Megan Afon Art as she shot these unique images in the backyard of a private residence in North Andover Ma.

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Woman with face paint and body art resembling a skeleton, wearing a floral crown made of red, yellow, and purple flowers, outdoors near a river or pond with trees and greenery in the background.

Anatomy Lesson

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon & Adam Canvas Giangregorio 
    Photographer: Megan Afon Art
    Model: Angela Marie

  • This concept was inspired by the artwork of digital artist FFO. With the help of fellow body painter Adam Canvas Giangregorio model Angela Marie was transformed into an Anatomy lesson. Photographed and edited by the amazing Megan Afon Art.

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A woman with detailed blue and green fantasy body paint resembling a mermaid, standing on rocks near water, wearing a costume with scales and feather accessories in her hair.

Blue Dragon

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon
    Photographer: Megan Afon Art
    Model: Laura Tompkins

  • This was the 1st of the dragon series and took over 3 hours to paint and style. Melissa used a combination of body paint, makeup and airbrush techniques to create this look on model Laura Tompkins. Photographer Megan Afon Art shot these image at the Sudbury Aqueduct in Framingham Ma.

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Woman with black and white hair wearing a black leather jacket, red maxi skirt, and sunglasses with 'The Furr' written on them, standing against a brick wall near a window with beige curtains.

Cruella Cosply

  • MUA: Melissa Avalon
    Photographer: Allie Ash Photographer
    Models: Mary Avaon

  • For the fun of cosplay Allie Ash Photography, Melissa Avalon, and Model Mary Avalon recreated one of the iconic looks from the Disney Live Action Movie Cruella. Photos were taken amoung the brick buildings in the industrial looking downtown area of Crestview FL

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Connnect.

melissa@dancingcanvasart.com

A woman with black hair and a red shirt is looking at another person in a dimly lit space with a spotlight on her face.