I can’t recall what year it was that I ‘found’ her, but I’m guessing it was around 2016/7… my go-to hair + makeup artist had moved to Europe and I was madly trying to find a new one who would check all the boxes (shout out to Sarah Byrne who left massive shoes to fill):
✔️ talented + professional
✔️ punctual (you could argue this is included in ‘pro’ but IYKYK 😫)
✔️ friendly + kind
✔️ authentic + fun
ENTER: Heather of Soul Beauti
As I’ve previously highlighted, this project was all about feeling + working untethered; knowing the easiest path to accomplish freedom in creativity is to ‘work’ with people you love + trust. Heather has been my go-to HMUA since our first time working together (clients LOVE the experience + artistry she provides) and so it was wonderful (and so much fun) to have the chance to be 1:1 in studio.
Every other piece I created for Worthy Imposters was inspired by a specific painting or painter; but I knew this collection would feel incomplete without a nod to the incomparable portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh.
Among some of my favourite portraits of his are: Ernest Hemingway, Georgia O’Keeffe, Martin Luther King Jr., Pablo Picasso, Nelson Mandela, and Pablo Casals. However, when choosing which to draw inspiration from + to honour, I was most drawn to the portrait he made of Sir Winston Churchill, titled: ‘The Roaring Lion’.
During a visit to Ottawa in 1941, the British war-time leader acquiesced to a quick sitting with the increasingly well known Karsh; the session produced what many believe to be one of the most reproduced photographs of all time and secured Karsh’s eventual ascension as one of the 20th century’s most lauded + important portrait photographers.
Churchill is oft described as a man who was determined, strategic, and eloquent… and one who did not suffer fools. Karsh, with his keen ability to read people (and the room), has been described as someone who could quickly decipher what might evoke authenticity - in both the person in front of his lens AND the resulting portrait. And so it was, as Churchill stood with his signature cigar in his mouth, that Karsh - without any warning and his camera ready to capture - walked over and snatched the cigar away from the Prime Minister. Churchill’s gruff stare in the resulting few images, including The Roaring Lion, conveys both the seriousness of the moment and the resilience and fortitude of the man.
Hear Her Roar / Heather x Karsh
Inspired by “The Roaring Lion” by Yousuf Karsh
©️ Lori Maloney 2025
For Heather’s portrait, I envisioned a reimagined portrait based on Karsh’s. I wanted to convey the strong + capable business woman she is, but with a tad of whimsy, softness, and fun. I suggested a red pant (a nod to a fab red lip 💋), and she said she had a riding blazer that she thought would be perfect (and BOY was it!).
I liked the idea of of posing her similarly to Churchill, and loved our straight up portrait BUT also wanted to stretch myself (as was the whole point), which is why I added a British doorknocker overlay (using a photo I’d taken on a trip to England long ago). Perhaps an overtly obvious salute to Karsh’s title, but it made me smile; I loved how it weaved into her hair and the symbolism of the circle that alludes to our interconnectedness.
If you are ever in need of a masterful, genuine, and kind HMUA please don’t hesitate in enquiring with Heather here or find her on IG @soul.beauti. She’s the best!
My full collection is available for purchase here and a selection of mine and Stacey’s work, printed as postcards, can be found here.
If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for following along on this little journey through my Worthy Imposters Collection... one more to go! And, to Heather, thank you friend for all the ways you make work more fun! 👯♀️
Every woman deserves a portrait she loves.
xo
Lori