Chicago has become the focus of America's attention because of the election of Senator Obama to the office of the Presidency. The Windy City is in a whirlwind with the influx of the World's Media watching every move that the Presidential transition team is making in putting together the team that will lead the United States into the future. The streets of the Windy City are also in the midst of a cultural revolution in the Art of Makeup. One of the leaders in this cultural revival is Mario Ceja, a founding partner in
Mario INK. Mario began his career as an airbrush artist at Art Festivals painting clothing and caricatures. Born and raised in Chicago, Mario took a summer job at 6 Flags Great America in the Air Brush Booth. While sweating out commercial merchandise for Great America to hawk to their visitors, Mario knew he had an innate ability to use the air brush. As he sharpened his skills with the air brush his creativity began to burst through his soul and he sought other ways to express his artistic abilities maturing within him.
With ten years of air brushing experience Mario was discovering the fascinating world of Makeup and realized that painting bodies with Makeup would enable him more creative freedom than airbrushing clothing. Mario answered an Internet posting by Benjamin Moline, co-founder of Windy City Media, who was seeking airbrush artists to body paint models for a calendar. Producer Dan Baron, co-founder of Windy City Media, invited Mario and eleven other Artists to a Promotional Party where they would Body Paint Models Live, one for each month of the year. "Mario was the HIT of the party," Dan relates, “and from that day forward Mario and I became partners and created Mario INK. Together we created the demand for promotional body painting throughout Chicago." After the success of the calendar event Benjamin and Dan asked Mario if he was interested in being the art director for
Windy City Media.
Windy City Media produces
Glam Live, a fashion for awareness event promoting Breast Cancer awareness through an engaging evening of high fashion, extreme beauty and avant garde hairstyles. Glam Live is a collaboration of hairstylists, makeup artists, designers, photographers and body painters working together to present an evening of entertainment while highlighting the important cause of
Breast Cancer Awareness for the
Y-Me National Breast Cancer Awareness Organization.
The talents of Mario Ceja and the production acumen of the founders of Windy City Media were becoming well known throughout the Chicago area. Mario relates, "The concept that we had in mind was to create a team of trained air brush artists that would perform a variety of work with a style that would define
Mario INK. With Dan as the Marketing Director we started to train a team that included, Scott, Leah, Joe and Leek just to name a few."
One of the biggest events in the
World of Makeup is the
Halloween and Party Expo which is attended by Award Winning Makeup Artists, Special Effects Artists and the Leaders in Makeup Production from around the world. "A couple of years ago I met Martin Melik, president of
Mehron at a Halloween Show where they were exhibiting and featuring some Body Painters working with
Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ. I was blown away by the colors of Paradise Makeup and by watching their featured artists applying it with brushes. After watching and talking to the Mehron Body Painters, I was determined to use brushes and Paradise Makeup to create new looks that I had in mind.", Mario explained, "I knew that I could combine the two, brushes and air brushes to create a totally different texture and look with Paradise Makeup, and after using it I was in love with Paradise Makeup."
Never staying in one place Mario and Dan have taken Mario INK even further by becoming the founders of
Air Brush Academy, where classes are given in the art of Extreme Beauty Makeup and Air Brushing. Mario relates his vision, "With the advent of HD film Air Brush Makeup will become the standard for Makeup Artists in the Performance Industry. I want to be in the forefront of this next wave in Makeup, I hope to work much more with Mehron and their newest Makeup, Lux Air, which we are fortunate enough to have access to at the
Air Brush Academy even though Mehron will not be introducing it till 2009".
Stephanie Ferreira, Marketing Director of Mehron thinks Mario INK exemplifies the artists that love Mehron, "We see
Mario INK as the kind of innovative, cutting edge Makeup Artist that will use the high quality Makeup that we produce to create works of art. We are so proud to feature Mario INK on our Web Site as a Featured Artist and look forward to working with him on future projects and providing Air Brush Academy with the tools they need to teach the next generation of Makeup Artists."
Mehron Makeup has been on the Stages and Screen throughout the world since 1927. The high quality make up of Mehron was created and formulated by Mehron Melik in 1927 in a loft off Broadway in New York City. In the beginning Mr. Melik catered to the live performers of his neighborhood, who performed on the stages of Vaudeville and Broadway. As his reputation grew Mehron expanded his make up line to meet the ever increasing need for high quality Theatrical Makeup. With the growing Silent Film Industry across the Hudson River in New Jersey the New York Market for Professional Performance Makeup began to expand for Mehron. 
Michele Obama, the First Lady of the United States, has taken the fashion press by storm. Ms. Obama has been the subject of style magazine articles and fashion news reports throughout the campaign and the Inauguration. When Ms. Obama appeared on The View during the Presidential Campaign she caused a run on a particular dress that she wore. She was asked on The View where she bought the dress and to the surprise of the interviewers, Ms. Obama named an affordable store in Chicago, the rest is History, The Store was inundated by requests for the same dress.
