The Art of Woman
Beginnings.
“What I was looking for was something different, something strong yet feminine, and collaborating with artist Natasha Kudashkina was the perfect choice.”— Clee
This was my first experience with a body painting photo shoot, and it was truly captivating to witness the creative process unfold. It takes about five hours to paint a model from head to toe, and once that was done, it was my turn to step in with my lens for a two-hour shoot.
When it came to choosing the right artist, there was only one I had in mind: Natasha Kudashkina, based in Toronto. I’m not sure how I first discovered her, but it was creative love at first sight. To me, she’s a genius when it comes to conceptualizing a theme and bringing it to life flawlessly.
At the time, my “Woman” project was just beginning, and I felt that body painting would be the perfect visual representation of the brand imagery I wanted to create. I commissioned Natasha, shared the theme with her, and told her she had complete creative freedom to bring her vision to life. It’s her artistry, and I firmly believe in allowing artists the space to fully express their creativity without interference.
There was only one woman I wanted to model for this photo shoot, and that was my close friend, Augustina. Beautiful, fit, and passionate about women’s issues, I knew she would be the perfect canvas for Natasha’s brush.
As Natasha worked her magic on Augustina, I waited and watched, mesmerized by what was unfolding. To pass the time, I snapped behind-the-scenes photos, recorded a bit of video, indulged in some candy, admired Natasha’s wall art, and joked around as usual. Five hours is a long time, but it was worth every minute. What Natasha created was nothing short of amazing. The detail, the vibrant colors—even incorporating my Clee brand color, blue—and the placement of the women on Augustina’s body captured everything I had envisioned for my brand imagery.
The photo shoot itself turned out to be quite an adventure. I had planned to shoot using natural window light, so I didn’t bring any lighting gear. Unfortunately, by the time Augustina was ready, the sun had set. Improvising, I grabbed a lamp, removed the shade, and made it work. It was pretty rudimentary using just a light bulb and my images were under-exposed but that’s where editing comes in.
"I love working with Clee! She is a passionate photographer, full of energy and enthusiasm. She is one of those people who trust me fully, and because of that trust, I’m able to create faster, better, and with lots of joy.” - Natasha
Body painting has always fascinated me—it’s a medium that elevates the storytelling in my photography, adding depth and dimension to the narrative. This was my first collaboration with Natasha, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Since then, we’ve worked together on five more creations, each with a different theme. I can’t wait to see where our next creative journey takes us!
"Woman" is my photographic documentary project that portrays all aspects of womanhood. Triumph, strength, beauty, accomplishment, character, athleticism, and humanitarianism are just some of the qualities I seek to capture through the lens, celebrating the essence and empowerment of today’s woman.
Yes, “we’ve come a long way, baby,” but there’s still a long way to go. Despite many successes, countless women continue to face discrimination, violence, poverty, and the denial of even the most basic human rights.
From moments of celebration and achievement to experiences of struggle and repression, my mission is to profile all shades of "Woman" through powerful photo coverage and storytelling.
Coming Soon: Clee Talks – Join us on Clee Talks for a follow-up podcast with model Augustina Lombardo as we dive into The Art of Woman, photography, friendship, and some fun, unfiltered banter about whatever comes up!
Great Wonderful.🙃🙃🙃🤗🤗🤗😘😘😘😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰
I was not aware of this art form, where the human body becomes a canvas of artistic expression, much like clothes can and does for many of us. This takes it to another level. I love the colour and vibrancy of this body canvas.