Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/190368
From the canvas Elsbeth SCHUETZ Orange, Calif. Celebrity manicurist Elsbeth Schuetz emits creativity. Aside from having a booming career in the nail industry, a certification in pastry arts, and professional calligraphy experience, she's also a painter. Ever since the first grade, she remembers surprising art teachers with her work. "Painting was always something I enjoyed, and I think for some people, it's just a gift," says Schuetz. "Ultimately inspiration comes from inside and my biggest strength is my imagination." Currently she's working on a 3-foot-tall still-life oil painting, but she also enjoys figure painting and portraiture. About 15 years ago, Schuetz considered leaving the nail industry, so she spent a summer at Disneyland drawing portraits for park-goers. She attended a rigorous training program and got both hourly pay and commission. "But I couldn't stand drawing on a time crunch and doing the same style over and over," says Schuetz. "It was a great experience, but it made me realize how much I really love nails. I realized how much potential there is in this field to get paid to really let my creative ability flow." According to Schuetz, who has been in the industry since its early days, she can reproduce anything she sees and was one of the nail art pioneers. "I can paint a portrait of Oprah or Obama on nails," says Schuetz. "But a lot of times people think they are good only if they can do something like that, and it's just not true. Everyone is their own artist and I always say, if you like impressionism and you're a Monet, be a Monet. Don't try to be a Dali or a Van Gogh. Find your strength." In recent years, Schuetz says she realizes the simplest designs can often be the most effective. "Right now I'm wearing hot pink polish with white polka dots on my feet," she says. "I get more compliments on that than my more elaborate designs because it's eye-catching. My toes are my business cards." Schuetz prefers flat nail art and uses every medium from acrylic paints to regular polish. She is noticing a trend toward gel art and texture and grabs inspiration from everything around her. "I just put in light wooden floors in my house and I thought, wouldn't that be nice on nails," she says. Schuetz leads teaching sessions in the industry and does nails for celebrities and photo shoots. She attends fine art classes regularly, which aids both her personal paintings and her nail art. 162 | NAILS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2013 to the fingertips >>>