Not everyone can honestly say they feel more confident and comfortable covered in paint than they do in their own skin, however, for 25-year-old Gabby Carbon nothing could be truer.
“When I look in the mirror it's weird to see my own skin tone. I very much prefer to be purple or blue. I want to be a character,” she says.
Gabby began her career as an alternative model 7 years ago, and is now also a costume designer, actress, makeup artist, and body painter. Describing herself as a performance artist, this woman of many talents says she has “all fingers in all pies” when it comes to the performing art industry. Gabby has learnt all her makeup, body paint and costume skills through observation and trial and error. She is motivated by her passion for the theatrical and hunger to learn.
“I just really love the weird and whacky and alternative side of the arts. I love learning new things, I love branching out and doing whatever I can,” she said.
Whilst she has been working with makeup for quite some time, Gabby first started experimenting with body painting in mid-2020, as part of a 30 week challenge. She focuses on painting the area known as the decolletage, which includes the upper chest, neck, and face. In August of the same year, she started streaming her body painting on Twitch, and now has 2.6 thousand followers with an average of 72 views per stream. As someone who enjoys delving into the world of make believe and creativity, Gabby says body painting is an outlet that allows her to experiment with themes and ideas.
“I love using colour. I just love creating original works. I have little Pinterest boards of inspiration, but all my paints are improvised. I just like to sit, go in with a theme and then just create. It's very freeing, very liberating. You just teach yourself along the way,” she says.
Gabby describes herself as a “creature performer and model”. She has worked in many theatre productions, Indie films, and photography shoots, which have all grown her love of performance and character. Recently, Gabby was the makeup artist for an Indie feature film titled ‘The Lonesome Room’, a project she was very proud to be part of.
Gabby reflects that her interest in creating costumes originated from her involvement in the Live Action Role Play (LARP) community back in 2016. What started off as a hobby creating the custom costumes she wanted but could not buy, turned into a small business called 'Carbon Fibers'.
“I really wanted to create my own costumes. My mom had a sewing machine and I asked to borrow it and I started having a play around and seeing what I could do. I've had a constant stream of commissions and then I made costumes for people across Australia,” she said.
Gabby says she enjoys the challenge of making costumes that reflect different eras and moments in history. One piece that stands out to her is a yellow and black outfit she created in 2018 for her German LARP character. Created in only three days, the dress features checkering and puffy sleeves, and according to Gabby is perfectly fitted and extremely comfortable.
Gabby says her art is inspired, collaborative, and busy and she hopes other artists continue practising, learning, and failing as these are the foundation of growth.
“I think learning is one of the best things that you can do. Never stop learning. As an artist you're your own instrument and you've got to constantly work on that instrument,” she says.
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