DaynaFX

01 · Murals

Paint at public scale

A wall on Niagara County’s interactive mural trail, finished by the people who visit it.

Dayna drawing the numbered Artpark mural outline on a wall in Lewiston — Lewiston “By the Numbers” mural in progress

Reported by Niagara Frontier Publications

Niagara County “By the Numbers” interactive mural, Lewiston

One of twelve color-by-number murals painted by twelve local artists for a county mural trail. Dayna painted the Lewiston wall from imagery designed by Matt Duquette. Visitors finish it themselves, filling in the numbered shapes with chalk from the snack bar.

WhereArtpark concessions building, 450 S. 4th St., Lewiston, NY
Size5 × 7 feet
FinishedBy September 27, 2021
RolePainter. Imagery designed by Matt Duquette

Sources: Niagara Frontier Publications, Apr. 18, 2022 · the project’s completion post · ASI mural-trail article and its mural map (Lewiston marker; the separate “Artpark” marker is another artist’s).

Group exhibition

The Niagara County mural artists

Project 308 Gallery, 308 Oliver St., North Tonawanda, NY. May 6 – June 11, 2022. Announced as a show for all twelve trail artists, Dayna included.

Show announcement

Dayna at work drawing the Artpark color-by-number mural — Dayna at work on the Artpark mural

Hand-painted nighttime forest mural with a dancing Wild Thing beneath the moon — Where the Wild Things Are · nursery mural

02 · Face & body

Another kind of canvas

Sugar skulls, tigers, sea creatures, florals and maternity bellies, all in professional water-activated body paint.

Sugar skull in Delft blue and white, with ornamental painting down the neck and shoulders — Delft-blue sugar skull

Full-face tiger painting in yellow, magenta and black — Neon tiger

Maternity belly painting: a teal and white mandala — Maternity mandala

Sea-creature look: glittering blue-green skin with fins at the temples — Sea creature

Two sugar-skull looks, one in purple and one in teal with a gold halo, at a wrought-iron gate — Twin sugar skullsPhoto: Shana Feeley

Parties, festivals, fundraisers and team events

Dayna books face painting for parties, fundraisers and team events, and wants to do more maternity belly painting, editorial, advertising and runway work.

Event face painting
Quick sugar skulls
Maternity bellies
Full body
Editorial

Whole face painted as a bold-outlined floral in pink, lavender and lime, inspired by a Peter Max print — Floral face after Peter Max

The halo sugar-skull look against autumn leaves — Halo sugar skull, autumnPhoto: Shana Feeley

Small canvases

Arms, hands and quick designs

Ice-cream cone with a cherry, painted on a forearm — Ice cream

Purple and pink hydrangea on a blue ground, painted on a forearm — Hydrangea

White roses and wings painted on a hand and wrist — White roses

Shark with open jaws swimming along a forearm — Shark

Rainbow arcing out of a glittering cloud on the back of a hand — Rainbow cloud

Blue filigree with a bee, painted on a forearm — Blue filigree

Pikachu with lightning bolts on the back of a hand — Pikachu

Violet butterfly painted on the back of a hand — Butterfly

Jigglypuff singing among rainbow swirls on a forearm — Jigglypuff

Black-and-white swirl-eyed skull with flourishes — Swirl skull

Black spider painted on the back of a hand — Spider

Smiling purple blob painted on a forearm — Purple blob

Children’s face-painting photos from Dayna’s Kids Gallery are left out on purpose. Only hands and arms are shown.

DaynaFX Henna Studio

Henna

Dayna’s Facebook page lists henna temporary tattoos alongside face painting and makeup, and she sets up at events as the DaynaFX Henna Studio.

Henna at Reading Palooza, Lily Dale, NY, announced for a Friday, 6–9 pm. Dayna’s announcement
The DaynaFX Henna Studio table, with decorated wood pieces on display. Dayna’s photo

03 · SFX & character

Things that shouldn’t look real

Prosthetic noses and chins, open wounds, zombies, witches and comic-book characters.

The Grand High Witch recreated: sculpted hooked nose and chin, wrinkled skin, moles and a black wig — The Grand High Witch (1990), recreated

Grey, decaying old-man zombie with an open wound on the cheek — Aged zombie

Torn-cheek effect revealing teeth, with red swirls painted on the neck — Torn cheek

Character makeup of Erica Slaughter, from the comic Something Is Killing the Children — Erica Slaughter

Half-face recreation of the Lonely Receiver comic cover, skin peeling away like paper — Lonely Receiver cover, recreated

Yellow cartoon face melting down the neck, with drooping eyes — Melting face

Green serpent painted coiling across the face, neck and arm — Serpent

One-eyed green monster painted over the whole face — One-eyed monster

Zombie with a deep forehead gash and a bandana over the mouth — Zombie gash

Process

The Grand High Witch (1990), step by step

Nose, brows and chin built up in liquid latex and cotton on a practice head
Moles cast from a gelatin mix, with single hairs set in
Everything applied, blended and painted for the finished face

Entered in the Stan Winston School Halloween costume contest under the name “DaynaFx” and signed “Dayna”, posted November 2, 2020. The same finished photo appears in Dayna’s own Selected Work gallery. A contest entry, not a prize or a credit on the film. Forum post · video

Latex-and-cotton nose and chin pieces built up on a practice head — Grand High Witch: building the nose and chin

Gelatin moles with single hairs set in, drying on a work board — Grand High Witch: gelatin moles

Dayna’s post · September 26, 2020

Webbed fingers for a mermaid

Creature-style webbed fingers for DYE magazine’s mermaid edition (“Juniper of the Sea”, in In print). Model Jess Wurl, photographer Shana Feeley. Post

A client’s post

Ghoul makeup, Olcott Beach

A client publicly thanked DaynaFX for a pale ghoul face with dark eyes, finished with a white wig and beard and a cobwebbed top hat. Client post

04 · In print

Covers & editorials

Makeup and body paint for alternative and fashion magazines, most of it shot by photographer Shana Feeley.

Jelly Baby magazine cover: a blue alien with glittering skin — **Jelly Baby, cover**January 2021 · “Space Babe”

Black-and-white Eerie Eclipse Magazine cover: dark-eyed figure in a hood — **Eerie Eclipse, cover**Cover credit: DaynaFX, with Shana Feeley

Gothesque back cover: model in a crown with glittering face paint — **Gothesque, back cover**Creatures of the Night · Model Katie Wolski

Gothesque · Red

Cicada Queen

Model Haley Gow · Photo Shana Feeley

Gothesque · Dark Matter

Miss Nova Stolas

Model Anatomy · Stylist Shannon Kramp · Photo Shana Feeley

DYE · Mermaid edition

Juniper of the Sea

Model Jess Wurl · Photo Shana Feeley

Auxiliary Magazine

Snow Queen

Model Katie Wolski · Photo Shana Feeley

Gothesque editorial

Frozen Eternity

Makeup & hair DaynaFX · Model & stylist Shannon Kramp · Photo Shana Feeley

Gothesque · Dark Water

Dark Water

A body-painted figure in the water at sunset

Gothesque page: crowned model with jewel face paint by a carved wooden screen

Gothesque · Creatures of the Night

Creatures of the Night

Model Katie Wolski · Photo Shana Feeley

Tear sheet

Beetlejuice

Model Tami Martel · Photo Shana Feeley

Titles and credits as Dayna captioned them in her Publication Gallery. Independent listings for the Gothesque issues are under Press.

05 · Other art

Off the skin

Comic-book tributes and the practice that goes into every look.

Page of the Lonely Receiver comic showing the body-painted cover recreation — Lonely Receiver, issue 3

Lonely Receiver, recreated in paint

Dayna recreated the cover art of the comic Lonely Receiver in face and body paint. Her recreation was featured inside issue 3 as a promo for Pulp 716 Coffee and Comics, according to her caption in the Publication Gallery.

Monarch-butterfly mask painted on a practice head — Monarch mask, practice head

On the practice head

Designs get worked out on a practice head first, like this monarch-butterfly mask.

On paper

Design samples painted on paper before they go on skin.

06 · Gallery

Everything, up close

Tap any piece to see it full size. Use the arrow keys or swipe to move through.

Sugar-skull face and neck painting under a crown of pink and magenta flowers — Floral sugar skull

The floral sugar-skull look, model reclining in the grass among pink flowers — Floral sugar skull, reclining

Black-and-white sugar-skull face with a painted skeleton hand and a spiked black-rose halo — Halo sugar skull

Full-length view of the halo sugar-skull look in an autumn cemetery — Halo sugar skull, full length

Sugar skull with blue eye sockets, a pink rose and a black painted jaw — Blue and rose sugar skull

Sugar skull with painted collarbones under a crown of flowers, in a garden — Garden sugar skull

Sugar skull worked in violet and purple — Violet sugar skull

Skeleton face with a black bow tie and a rose in the hair — Dapper skeleton

Half-skull face with blue hair and a pink flower crown — Half skull, flower crown

Neon-green skeleton face and ribcage with a red heart, under a flower crown, on black — Valentine’s Day skeleton

Pop-art face in saturated pink and yellow, with one textured black cheek — Pop-art face

Moths painted across one eye and the hand of a dark-haired model — Sleeping Beauties promo

Frosted fantasy face in white and pale blue with blue lips — Frost

Warrior look: black war paint across the eyes, braided hair and a fur collar, outdoors — Warrior paint

Candy-drip face: bright blue drips studded with sprinkles, with candy-pink lips — Candy drip

Close-up of a pink-shadowed eye framed by a ring of dried petals — Petal eye

Thermal: a heat-map face in orange, yellow and magenta — Thermal

Daisy vine painted around the eye — Daisy vine

Pastel unicorn mask with a painted horn and jewels — Unicorn mask

Close-up of a bloody wound on the bridge of the nose — Nose wound

Green monster hand with painted bones and claws — Monster hand

Skull face under a black witch hat — Witch skull

Realistic grinning skull with sunken cheeks — Grinning skull

Blue-skinned bride character with dark brows and red lips — Blue bride

Lavender-skinned sea-witch character with dramatic blue lids — Sea witch

Space Babe: blue alien face with textured scalp and gold lips — Space Babe, Jelly Baby

Space Babe close-up, hands painted blue with silver accents — Space Babe, Jelly Baby

Gothesque page: full-length gown in a misty forest — Gothesque, Creatures of the Night

Gothesque page: lilac-haired model seated at a tree — Gothesque, Creatures of the Night

Gothesque page: close-up of blue scale painting at the eye — Gothesque, Creatures of the Night

Gothesque page: elf-eared creature looking skyward at dusk — Gothesque, Creatures of the Night

Miss Nova Stolas spread: blue figure in cloud and holding a glitter orb — Miss Nova Stolas, Gothesque Dark Matter

Blue-skinned figure cradling a glittering orb, Gothesque page — Gothesque Dark Matter

Cicada Queen spread: model in a red gown among white columns — Cicada Queen, Gothesque Red

Cicada Queen: full-length red lace gown and crown — Cicada Queen, Gothesque Red

Dark Water spread: figure rising from the lake at sunset — Gothesque Dark Water

Dark Water: figure in a pale gown sitting in the water — Gothesque Dark Water

Dark Water: painted figure on a dock, hand to face — Gothesque Dark Water

Dark Water: reaching out over still water at dusk — Gothesque Dark Water

Juniper of the Sea spread: green-scaled mermaid on the shoreline — Juniper of the Sea, DYE mermaid edition

Juniper of the Sea: green-scaled mermaid in the shallows — Juniper of the Sea, DYE mermaid edition

DYE magazine Pink issue spread: two models in pink with candy-coloured headdresses — DYE magazine, Pink issue

DYE magazine Pink issue: models in pink hair and kaleidoscope glasses — DYE magazine, Pink issue

DYE magazine Pink issue: white face with a crescent moon and spider — DYE magazine, Pink issue

DYE magazine spread: pop-art halftone faces under bright yellow wigs — DYE magazine, May/June 2019

DYE magazine spread: pixel-pattern faces under yellow wigs — DYE magazine, May/June 2019

Snow Queen: white-haired model in a corset and feathered cape — Snow Queen, Auxiliary Magazine

Magazine tear sheet of the Beetlejuice look — Beetlejuice, tear sheet

Frozen Eternity: ice crown and lace collar — Frozen Eternity

Frozen Eternity: frosted nails and a black-and-white lace sleeve — Frozen Eternity

Frozen Eternity: white gown in the snow — Frozen Eternity

Frost Bite spread: white-booted model on a chair in a snowy wood — Frost Bite

Frost Bite: white corset and boots in a snowy wood — Frost Bite

Frost Bite portrait: vampire fangs and a ruby ring — Frost Bite

Orange fanged critter painted on a forearm — Little monster

Pikachu and a Poké Ball painted on two hands — Pikachu and Poké Ball

Cartoon blue armchair painted on a forearm — Armchair

07 · Press & recognition

Where the work ran

Gothesque^{6 issues}
Auxiliary
DYE
Jelly Baby^cover
Eerie Eclipse^cover
Gothic
Gothesque Jr.
Cosplay Realm
Edith
Niagara Frontier Publications

Gothesque Magazine

#86 Creatures of the Night, Jul/Aug 2020
#87 Dark Water, Sep 2020
#88 Red Vol. 2, Oct 2020
#90 Dark Matter, Dec 2020
#91 Vol. 1: Daywalker, Jan/Feb 2021
#93 Vol. 1: Heaven & Hell, May/Jun 2021

The publisher’s MagCloud listings name DaynaFX as a contributor to each issue.

The mural trail

“Art show to celebrate 12 Niagara County murals”, Niagara Frontier Publications, Apr. 18, 2022. Credits Dayna as painter of the Lewiston mural.
ASI mural trail, Arts Services Inc., Nov. 17, 2022, with a map naming Dayna at the Lewiston site.
The interactive mural project thanking DaynaFX for the finished wall, 2021.

Also published in

Auxiliary Magazine: “Snow Queen”, December 2020
DYE: May/June 2019, the Pink issue and the mermaid edition
Jelly Baby: January 2021 cover
Eerie Eclipse: cover
Gothic Magazine, Gothesque Jr., Cosplay Realm, Edith Mag

As listed on Dayna’s About page and shown in her Publication Gallery.

Dayna, in a cap and black tank top, drawing the outline of the Artpark mural on a wall

08 · About

Meet Dayna

DaynaFX is the studio of Dayna, a muralist, face and body painter, henna artist and SFX makeup artist based in Olcott, New York, in the Buffalo–Niagara area.

She came to body painting through Halloween. It was a once-a-year hobby until she joined the body-painting community for real. She’s self-taught, and she studied Biology at Buffalo State University, which is why so much of her work borrows from the natural world: moths, petals, cicadas, scales and fins.

Her editorial work, much of it made with photographer Shana Feeley, has run in Gothesque, Auxiliary, DYE, Jelly Baby and Eerie Eclipse. Closer to home she paints faces at parties, fundraisers and team events, and she painted a wall on Niagara County’s interactive mural trail.

Training

Self-taught face and body painter
Certified makeup artist, in her own words
Undergraduate study in Biology, Buffalo State University

Collaborators

From Dayna’s About Me and Talent pages.

09 · Contact

Let’s paint something.

Email Dayna for a consultation. Event bookings are confirmed with a signed contract and a deposit, so check availability first.

DaynaFX@gmail.com

Based in Olcott, NY. Serving Buffalo and Niagara County.

Party & event face painting 1-hour minimum
Single face paint about 25 min
Maternity belly painting session
SFX & prosthetics by consultation
Full body painting by consultation
Editorial & photo shoots by consultation
Henna events
Murals by consultation