Star Shields is a master of airbrush face and body art. He started out airbrushing t-shirts and has painted stage clothing for rock stars including Led Zeppelin, Paul and Linda McCartney, deep Purple and Bob Dylan. It was in 1979 that Star airbrushed a rainbow face to match his rainbow clothing and over the years his art has evolved and influences the whole world of fantasy makeup.
With pure delight, Star has watched and helped the airbrush culture grow; he has inspired and taught his techniques to many artists worldwide. “When you have painted thousands of faces over a 30 year time frame, you become more intuitive with this personalized art.”
For twenty years, Star has performed his own unique style of performance airbrushing at the world famous Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, California. People come from all over the world to experience this renowned artist’s colony summer-long festival. Star paints between three and six faces all at once. It is an amazing spectacle to watch and be a part of. “I feel a rhythm with the music when I paint and it is all based on the crowd’s reactions. When they are cheering, I really get into it like hitting a groove. Face painting then becomes my true performance art.”
It is plain to see that Star has a deep-rooted passion for airbrush art. Star says, “My reward for my art is watching the faces of children light up and smile so widely when they see what I have done on their faces.”