Meet vanessa penaranda | makeup artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with vanessa penaranda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi vanessa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

Growing up in a very culturally rich city as Barranquilla, Colombia, art was always around me, dancing in carnival since the age of 3 got me immersed in the artistic world. Backstage at the dancing shows, I fell in love with all the creative process behind a show, the direction and scripting of the spectacle to the small and fine details in costume and makeup molded me in to the artist I am today. I started painting from a young age, but when I connected that with the art of makeup my whole life changed, I knew that I wanted to do this for my entire life, creating and designing a character fitting for a show, tv, fashion editorial or any visual media space became my passion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I started my artistic life in a more easy to approve by parents career, I went on to be an interior designer, which gave me a lot of tools in design process and space management that I could apply in many other areas I work on now. I then went on to do my master’s degrees in Barcelona as a visual merchandiser, but I had the opportunity to study at the same time an specialization in character design, body paint and fx makeup, which made me into a more complete makeup artist and make me face the decision of what I wanted to do next, so I chose makeup and started building up a name in my city as an face and body paint artist.

Halloween and carnival season were crazy for me, social media made me be seen by a lot of people in my city, and then I started to not only do client appointments, and some collabs with influencers, I needed to get out of the comfort zone to get the recognition of a bigger artist.

I mixed painting and makeup in a different way this time, I went on art galleries events not with photographs of my work, I proposed an interactive show of live body paint, and people loved it, they could see a real work of art be done in front of their eyes, went on tv and was invited to runway shows and events with this performance, and I keep doing not only makeup for clients but this shows is something I started in my city and I’m bringing it to more places to people to see makeup not limited to beauty, but to showcase it as a great form of plastic arts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

There so many cool places to hang out in Miami, but my favorite spots are the ones with a great view, I would take anyone to some rooftops in the Brickell area, sky rosa or sugar are a must go, a view of the city or the bay is just an amazing background for a great time out. I love also walking in design district, checking out some shops and restaurants while you’re there, and it’s a lovely area to be walking around, even getting as far as midtown to go bar hopping, and if you feel with a spirit of dancing the next stop will be Wynwood, a more casual party spot than Brickell, where you can find every time of music in the different clubs, going to the classic Dirty Rabbit or Mayami.

And even if its winter not going to the beach is a sin in Miami, a walk into the past with the ocean drive buildings, shopping at Lincoln road and eating in Espanola way it’s just a perfect day in south beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I have to thank my makeup artist from my carnival performances, Jorge Borrero, to make me love this craft, what he created not only in makeup but costumes, made me understand the complete cycle of designing a character, what they wear and how their hair and makeup is placed is what’s going to speak to the public from their history and background.

Website: https://vanepenaranda.wixsite.com/makeup

Instagram: @tatapenarandae

Linkedin: vanessa penaranda