Makeup: Faculty Highlights
KAREN ESPREZ
MAKEUP PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Karen H. Esprez has held a long career with Blanche Macdonald. Beginning as a Makeup student, she has gone on to establish herself as an industry leader. She continually fosters and encourages the creative talents of the College’s faculty, students and our own indigenous Fashion, Television and Film industries. Karen has worked with cosmetic companies such as Calvin Klein, Laura Mercier, NARS and Smashbox. Her love for hockey and makeup came together by doing makeup on Jim Hughson's "Snapshots" and noted players such as Brett Hull and Igor Larionov. Sports and makeup are a theme in Karen's career as her talents lent itself to the World's Figure Skating Competition when Vancouver was the host in 2001 working with CTV, ABC, German and French Television.
Karen has worked with talents such as Dee Daniels, Rod Black and Babz Chula. In combination with all of this work, Karen has been one of the school's leading instructors. It was her success at teaching that caught the school's attention to having Karen play a larger role by becoming the Associate Makeup Director. With her enjoyment of the position and constant striving for the highest achievements of the students and the school, combined with the versatility of talents and experience, Karen is now playing an even larger role as our Makeup Program Director.
Karen still keeps her pulse on the industry, developing a variety of training for the school. Her commitment and passion have allowed her to extend a hand in developing and reaching out to the talent pool of artists who are active within the industry. Her visionary savvy has resulted in the creation and inception of the hugely acclaimed Signature Series – Makeup Masters, Advanced Makeup Training with the World’s Best. This stellar line up has included some of the world’s most recognized and Award Winning Makeup Artists: Oscar winners such as Ve Neill, Howard Berger and Tami Lane and Celebrity Makeup Artist, Sharon Gault. Karen is committed to achieving the highest standards for the school and to meet the standards of the industry.
Jennifer Powell
Makeup Program Associate Director
Jennifer Powell is a graduate of BMC who started her career as the makeup artist for BCTV and CBC. Early in her career, a high point was making up superstar Seal for a pre-Grammy appearance on Gen-X TV L.A. As a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 891, she has added more credits to her illustrious resumé. She has worked on various Television series and Feature Films as Chronicles of Riddick, Slither, Out Cold with Zack Galifianakis, True Calling, X-Men, Twilight Zone, The Sentinel, Glory Days with fellow BMC alumni Yvonne Weber, Night at the Museum, Fantastic Four and White Chicks.
She has also been the Key Makeup Artist for Season 4 of the highly acclaimed series, The L Word and Painkiller Jane. She has worked on numerous stars such as Kristanna Loken, Ivana Trump, Vivica A. Fox, and Jessica Simpson. Jennifer has returned to BMC to share her knowledge and experience as an instructor and Associate Director of the Makeup Department.
CJ Wills
Makeup Instructor
CJ Wills began her career in her native England and arrived at Blanche Macdonald with a brilliant career that spans over 30 years in TV and Film, Hair, Esthetics and Prosthetics.
CJ has worked on too many productions to list fully here. Her substantial Canadian credits include Watchmen, Night at the Museum 1 and 2, The Proposal, Bride of the Wind, Addicted with our very own Todd McIntosh and hit British series like The Muppet Show, The Bill and Peak Practice. Even more impressive is the list of actors that CJ has worked with: Minnie Driver, Christopher Reeve, Diana Ross, Samantha Morton, Sylvia Simms, Jeffery Dean Morgan, Kevin Whately, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lloyd, Jennifer Esposito, Miranda Richardson, Jason Priestly, Gabriel Byrne, James Purefoy, Jon Voigt and many more.
With her wealth of knowledge and experience, CJ provides students with first class instruction, directing her students in the many techniques and steps necessary to best prepare them for a career the industry. CJ’s terrific sense of humour makes her classes informative, engaging and very hands on. In a word, fun.
It’s our great fortune and privilege that CJ decided to join Blanche Macdonald as one of our instructors.
Cory Roberts
Makeup Instructor
Cory Roberts is a multi-talented makeup artist with a myriad of talents and credits. Cory has worked in Television and Film, Prosthetics, Asian Theatre, personal coaching and client consultation. As an instructor, Cory’s broad range of interests and experiences are a tremendous benefit to her students.
As a Makeup Artist, Cory has worked with an extensive list of companies and clients. A sampling of these include Laura Mercier, Lancôme, Nars, Stila, Pout, Bobby Brown and Chanel. One of Cory’s most memorable moments in her career was when she worked with Dan Rather. She describes this career highlight as courteous, fun and exceptional.
The best way to describe Cory is that she is larger than life. She has an infectious energy where her optimism, vivaciousness and happiness are a constant. Her laughter fills our hallways. Her endless enthusiasm and creative passion invigorate those she works with and inspires those she teaches. For anyone entering Cory’s universe, you can’t help but be drawn in!
Daemon Cadman
Makeup Instructor
Daemon Cadman’s career is taking a foothold in the industry as it reaches its first decade.
Her career took root in independent film. Independent film was a natural start and very reflective of her free spiritedness. However, it was beyond film that Daemon found her true freedom as an artist. Her talents took her career into the direction of Fashion. It was in Fashion shows and print that gave expression to Daemon’s creativity, most notably in airbrush body makeup. Her work has been featured in the Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Province, especially for Halloween special features. Her airbrush body makeup has been specially commissioned by Molson Indy for their opening Galas and V.I.P guests for many years. Not to be out done, Absolute Spa and the Audi Car launch have also contracted Daemon for her creative work.
Daemon’s driving force as an instructor is her independent style. Her refreshing approach to teaching can be characterized as energizing, inspiring and enlivening to the students. This invigorating environment spurs the students to find their own creative voice and to find their own expression in their work. One of the many allures of having Daemon as one of our senior instructors is her fervent passion for fostering originality and creativity.
Donna Stocker
Makeup Instructor
In addition to her 14 years in the Film industry, Donna Stocker has amassed 27 years experience in Fashion.
Donna started in the industry as a model. Eventually, her journey in front of the camera transitioned to one behind the lens. As a Makeup Artist, she developed substantial credits in Fashion runway and print. Always evolving, Donna soon found her career expanding rapidly into Television and Film. Her extensive credits include First Wave, Chronicles of Riddick, Santa Claus 2, White Chicks, Saved and famous faces such as Bob Saget, Michael York, Luke Perry, Sean Aston, and Elizabeth Berkley.
Donna’s wonderfully altruistic nature have allowed her to apply her artistic talents in yet another area, that of the medical community. Here, she is able to lend her makeup skills to those in need of cosmetic camouflage therapy due to skin conditions or scarring.
Evolution and transformation. These words best describe the essence of Donna’s makeup career and of Donna herself. Her consummate desire for change, her insatiable desire to learn and grow and her endless need to help others have allowed her to reach the pinnacle of her career. Truly, she is a shining example to our students to learn from and to live by.
Holland Miller
Makeup instructor
Holland Miller, a prosthetic and special makeup effects artist, has been nominated for a Gemini Award for his work on Stargate SG-1. He has also worked on the series The X-Files, X Men 2, Millenium, and The Outer Limits. His earlier feature film credits include Reindeer Games and Scary Movie, for which he helped create a likeness of the severed head of actress Shannon Elizabeth.
Today he is an instructor at Blanche Macdonald, imparting his knowledge of special makeup effects in a very important section of the curriculum. In addition, he has established an excellent reputation as a makeup effects artist on shows such as The Haunting in Connecticut, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Fog, Scary Movie 3, Stargate: Atlantis, The Chronicles of Riddick, and White Chicks.
Holland is also a two-time Emmy nominee for Outstanding Makeup. Currently, he is working on the Sci-Fi, mystery series, Sanctuary.
Jason Stafford
Makeup Instructor
In the world of cosmetics, is there anything Makeup Artist and Blanche Macdonald Instructor, Jason Stafford, hasn’t done?
In 1991, Jason Stafford kicked off his cosmetics career with Revlon but soon after began his eight year history with MAC Cosmetics. As the Regional Manager for Artist Training and Development for South East Asia and Northwest North America, he travelled to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Taiwan and Hawaii opening new MAC stores. With each of these new new store openings, he trained MAC’s new employees and was responsible for delivering “the soul” of MAC Cosmetics to these new overseas markets. During this time, Jason worked with Hong Kong Elle, Chatelaine, Eve Magazine, Sing Tao, Teenage Magazine and several news publications throughout Southeast Asia.
As MAC’s Regional Manager for Artistic Training and Development for Northwest North America, he coordinated MAC’s international instore retail events and fashion shows and was a Co-Producer and Key Makeup Artist for Fashion Care Vancouver and Toronto, MAC’s annual gala fundraiser for AIDS Awareness. He was the “go-to guy” for Macey’s Passport Fashion Shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles as Key Makeup Artist for five years, coordinating all the makeup looks and artists for this US retail giant’s annual event.
As MAC’s regional trainer, he conducted educational and training seminars in Canada and the U.S. and was involved in new product planning, marketing strategies and new product launches. During Olympus Fashion Week in New York, Jason was part of the backstage makeup crew for designers Matsuda, Wynn Smith and Gianfranco Ferre, to name but a few of the many shows he has worked on. He has worked his makeup magic on celebs Mandy Moore, K.D. Lang, Daisy Fuentes, Angie Everhart, Jennifer Tilly, Tyson Beckford, Marcus Schekenburg and Designer Tommy Hilfiger.
Once again, Jason has been recruited to a key position within the Cosmetics Industry. He is currently the Training Manager for Chanel Cosmetics, Western Region. Jason Stafford’s love of cosmetics, fashion and the diversity of this incredible industry continues to motivate him. He shares his vast knowledge and experience with the students at Blanche Macdonald.
Joanne Kinchella
Makeup Instructor
Senior instructor at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Head of ACFC West Makeup Department, Joanne Kinchella is a 2009 Leo Award Winner for Best Makeup for Iron Road. On the set of Iron Road, Joanne worked with the amazing talents Sam Neil, Tony Leung Ka Fai and the legendary actor Peter O’Toole.
“Peter O'Toole was absolutely fabulous! Every morning he would serve me tea after I finished his make up and share stories of his life. I was so awestruck with sitting and talking to him, I barely remember the stories!” says Joanne.
Joanne Kinchella always keeps an open door to former students and helps them with their continued education and experience through out the years. Not only is she recognized for her makeup talents but is lauded for her academic and professional excellence.
“I have been teaching at Blanche Macdonald for 8 years now going on 9 years, and wow, that time has gone by so fast! I guess that is what they say when you are having fun. I love teaching and telling the stories of my experiences with the students. Blanche has given me a great balance for my life. Being on set is consuming and takes up many hours of your life. I sometimes work between 60 -70 hours a week, so when I come back to the school I am always warmly welcomed back by the college and former students. I am grateful to be a part of such a great company with such great people to work with; I have made many friends since I have been here.”
Some of Joanne’s other credits from her highly distinguished career include The Art of War II: Betrayal, Vice starring Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah, Nightmare, Passion’s Web and The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker.
Jonathan Hennessey
Makeup Instructor
“I came to the Blanche Macdonald Centre as a 19 year old skateboarder with no artistic background, just the idea that I really wanted to be a makeup artist,” says in-demand freelance makeup artist Jonathan Hennessey.
And since graduating from the Blanche Macdonald Centre, Jon has worked in a dozen countries, on countless runway shows and his editorial work has appeared in numerous publications around the world.
At the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, MTV, VH1 and the Toronto, Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals, Jon’s makeup artistry was chosen for their red carpet glam. From Pucci and Feretti in Milan, Alexander McQueen and Ungaro in Paris to Zac Posen and Carolina Herrera in New York, his backstage credits are a who’s who of the fashion industry. Vogue Homme, Instyle, Nylon, Make-up Artist Magazine, Lula and A4 have all featured his fashion and beauty work. Jon's client list also includes Grammy and Academy Award winners and such talent as Alicia Keys, Lily Allen, Patrick Wolf and INXS.
Formerly a MAC trainer and Senior Artist with the MAC Pro Team based out of Vancouver, Los Angeles and New York, Jon joined the Blanche Macdonald Centre faculty as a Fashion makeup instructor. Jon has since broadened his career to encompass the role of Creative Director and Owner of the highly touted Artists’ Agency, NOBASURA.
Described as a creative agency representing top tier talent working in the fashion, advertising, entertainment and visual communication industries, its roster lists many of the fashion industry’s heavy weights in Makeup, Hair, Styling and Photography.
Jon has also become a much sought after speaker and Guest Artist at the International Makeup Artists’ Trade Show in Los Angeles and The Makeup Show in New York.
“The fact that I can come back to Blanche Macdonald and share my knowledge and experience with aspiring artists is an exciting prospect. It allows me to focus on grooming and developing emerging talent in an environment that I'm continually inspired by. ”
- Jonathan Hennessey, Creative Director / Owner – NOBASURA Artist Management
Leanne Rae Podavin
Makeup Instructor
Blanche Macdonald graduate Leanne Rae Podavin has been a freelance Special Makeup Effects Artist in Vancouver for 10 years.
Starting in television, Leanne worked on several science fiction series including “Millennium”, “Harsh Realm”, “Special Unit 2”, “Sleepwalkers”and the made for T.V. movies “The Voyage of the Unicorn”, “The Spring” and “Clive Barker’s Saint Sinner”. An Emmy nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup followed for her FX work on the “The X-Files” in 1998.
Leanne has applied prosthetics on such films as “X Men 2”, “13 Ghosts”, “The Santa Clause 2”, “Scary Movie 3” and “Ginger Snaps Back - The Begining”. The X-Files Official Magazine, Fangoria, Cinefantastique, and Sci-Fi Universe magazines have all featured her outstanding work.
As a Makeup Effects instructor at the Blanche Macdonald Centre, Leanne brings her enthusiasm and professionalism to the classroom.
“I am proud to be a graduate and instructor at The Blanche Macdonald Centre. I look forward to sharing my knowledge of the industry and my love of makeup effects with every class I teach”.
Lesley Opheim-Riou
Makeup Instructor
Lesley Opheim-Riou’s experience and knowledge spans 18 years in modeling, retail & bridal makeup and esthetics.
The birthplace of Lesley’s career was at BMC in modeling. Her skill set grew into Esthetics in which she worked as a nail tech, waxing and makeup. Her makeup talents drew her into the bridal world, which has been featured in the Bridal Section of the Vancouver Sun. Companies such as Ultima II, Iman and Elizabeth Arden have commissioned Lesley’s work. She has also held the esteemed position of the Spa Makeup Director for Skin Concepts Spa in which she lead them in their training, writing newsletters and established their events. Lesley is still active in the spa business as a makeup consultant and advisor on product testing and training for Breizh Salon Services.
Lesley’s affinity for community and family is the backbone of her talent. Her comfort and ease is what charms those around her and creates the perfect environment for clients, brides and students alike. It is this sense of well- being that creates a security and assurance in our students to learn how to convey the beauty on the outside and also from within.
MANI BRATCH
MAKEUP INSTRUCTOR
Upon graduating from the Blanche Macdonald Centre, Mani took on a position with MAC Cosmetics as a counter artist. She quickly rose to a management position and was promoted to the position of MAC trainer, where she became an integral part of the training and development of all MAC artists. Specializing in Fashion and Bridal make-up, Mani earned a reputation for bringing out the natural beauty of her clients. Her make-up application is never heavy, always polished and flawless. A four page feature in the Vancouver Sun, ‘Brides of the Millennium’, launched Mani’s career in the direction of bridal makeup.
Working with top fashion and wedding photographer as Rob Magee, and bridal designers as Manuel Mendoza and Sandra Sung, her work has graced the cover of BC’s Complete Wedding Directory, Westcoast Bridal Trends billboards, the Province and the Vancouver Sun. Specializing in Bridal make-up for Asian and Indian weddings, Mani's talents were recognized by her industry peers with a nomination for 'Best Bridal Make-up' for the Canadian Make-up Awards (CNoMAS) - Canadian Network of Make-up Artists).
Mani teaches the makeup for fashion and photography level of the Blanche Macdonald Global Makeup Diploma program and is represented by fellow instructor and graduate Jonathan Hennessey’s agency NOBASURA.
Sandra Anderson
Makeup Instructor
Sandra Anderson’s career in fashion and makeup extends over 30 years.
The start of this enduring career started in BMC while studying Fashion merchandising and soon turned it’s direction to modeling. This call to modeling took Sandra around the globe from New York, London, Barcelona, Milan and Mexico City. Her modeling evolved into the skill and love of makeup artistry. The life of internationally modeling ended when Sandra return home to her roots at BMC to teach makeup artistry.
Sandra’s strong passion for excellence, partnered with sincerity, patience and warmth have been the guiding hand to many of our makeup artist students. Having had previous training in self-appreciation, her greatest strength as an instructor is creating a confidence and trust that breaks through many fears that beginning students may have. It’s this guiding force in the classroom, which along with makeup has taught the students to have confidence and trust in themselves to move forward successfully. Her message of strength and excellence has been the first guiding hand to many of our graduates for the past 20 years and still continues unfailing to this day.
Sydney Silvert
Makeup Instructor
Superstars Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. Supermodels Shalom Harlow and Beverly Johnson. Ryan Reynolds, Mandy Moore, Mischa Barton, McDreamy...Patrick Dempsey, Carrie-Anne Moss and Vince Vaughn. Name dropping? Mais non, they are just a few of the Hollywood A-list stars Blanche Macdonald Television and Film Makeup Instructor Sydney Silvert has worked with over the years. Add Angela Basset and Freddie Prinze, Jr. and this accomplished Makeup Artist ‘s list of celebs is still just getting started!
Sydney began his makeup career in Montreal. His background in theatre and performing arts, however, soon drew him into film and Sydney found himself on blustery Bowen Island, cold and weather gear-less, working next to Rod Steiger and Yvonne De Carlo on the feature film, “American Gothic”.
After acclimatizing himself to our unpredictable West Coast weather, Sydney firmly established himself and his talent during the early days of the Vancouver film industry. When producer Stephen Cannell brought “21 Jump Street” to town, the entire Vancouver industry got a shot in the arm. Sydney took full advantage and was hired as Head of the Makeup Department for the second season. He remained on “21 Jump Street” for four years, gaining plenty of professional experience with cast members Johnny Depp and Richard Grieco and watching a parade of young guest stars like Brad Pitt and Christina Applegate come through town.
Sydney Silvert is a prolific artist and a veritable encyclopedia of makeup products and their ingredients. He is a long-standing IATSE 891 union member with a list of credits that stretches over a wide range of film and television projects. Having completed work on “Saved!”, “Blade:Trinity”, “Connie and Carla” and “Scary Movie 3” Sydney is currently taking a break from features in order to concentrate on his classes and exercise his teaching degree. The Blanche Macdonald Centre couldn’t be happier to have his talent and knowledge on-hand for our young, aspiring artists.
But if history has taught us anything, it won’t be long before Sydney is back under the lights, touching up Hollywood’s finest.
“Blanche Macdonald Centre offers students a well-rounded curriculum and a supportive atmosphere which prepares them for the challenges and rewards of a career in the film industry.” - Sydney Silvert
