Hawaii artist who paints with makeup is breaking the rules of traditional art

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Danielle Rush has a unique way of making her artwork pop — she paints with cosmetics.

“It’s really incredible what makeup can do,” she said.

For 20 years, Rush lived the dream as a Hollywood makeup artist for film and television shows.

“I worked on a lot of dance competition type shows, big sparkly, fun, crazy makeups,” she said.

Her career gave way to motherhood and a move to Hawaii that downshifted her lifestyle. It soon opened her eyes to something new.

She says that one night, she had a dream about painting with makeup. That thought led her to create her iconic style now known as “Illuminated Art.”

“I print a photo on canvas. I then take makeup and I mix it into acrylic paint. Then I paint the highlights and shadows to give texture, motion and a three-dimensional feel to every photo,” she said.

The original style is unlike any other conventional artist. Rush uses uses the makeup to accentuate lights and darks so that it seems like the clouds and water leap off the page.

“I’ve never really taken any fine art classes or anything of that sort. I don’t know paint very well, but I know makeup really well,” she said.

She enjoys surprising people who see her work for the very first time.

“When you see illuminated art in person, it pops a lot more than when you see it in a photo or on video,” she said.

You can see Rush’s art in person attThe Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To check out her makeup masterpieces, click here.

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