"Hello guys I am Sophia Meragold, I am from Hollywood. I am 35 years old and I do Oils, Airbrush and hand work.
After meeting all the other contestants I got to really talk to Butch and Gear I started to get a feeling they were cool. I had seen a bit of what they are able to accomplish and I made me excited to see what new challenges that I would face.
Then the one and only Rebecca Roman came out and started to talk and then the judges came out. Graig Tracy, Robin Slonina and RuPAUL Charles all came out one by one and each of them is a force to be reckoned with. I idolized all of them knowing that they are the best in the fields that they work in and that they are absolute icons.
"Then they said to get ready to take a tour around LA and find an inspiration for a challenge from waist up." Right then and there I knew exactly what I was going to do.
Once we got back we had only 2 hours to create a piece of art on the body so I got to work. Starting on the outlines and getting all the details to the brush stroke I knew I was in for a challenge. The harsh changes in color that would help create the photo was hard enough without doing it on a body but the slightest move made it that much more.
Looking around the workshop and seeing all the fantastic pieces of art people were creating it was amazing. But I knew that I could not just give up and power through the piece I was working on. Seeing the different artists I knew then that Butch and Gear would be my hardest competition yet. Their pieces were amazing, which only drove me to keep doing my best.
Once the two hours were up I finished with this
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Then the judges looked at them and proceeded to call 3 names.
"The first name we decided is ... Butch, the second name is ... Gear and our third name is ... Sophia
"You Guys did a wonderful job. We saw some of your own self's in your art"
The excitement ran through me as I realized that the first day I was here, I was called up and praised for my work. I was not expecting this but this just show that if I put my mind to it I can overcome any challenge I face.
"Your winner for this challenge is Butch"
I did not win but that just gives me the motivation to keep going and fight for my stop to stay here. I love what I do and this is all I see myself doing for the foreseeable future so let's make a name for myself while I am at it.
Once we were back the next day they told us we had to do a full head to body painting. Portraiture on where born. I was happy I was originally born in Hollywood. We only had 5 hours to do it and had to book it.
I knew what I wanted to do the second the judges named the challenge. I grew up here in La and ever since I was little my parents always took my siblings and I to the circus every summer. It was a big part of growing up and how I ended up here for my career.
After about 3 hours the judges came in to help out a little and then leave, they questioned all the contestants and pointed out things that were possibly going to be an issue for each of us. They took one look and said "You might want to stick to one part of your theme. So that way you are not trying to stick too much in one piece."
Once we were down to about 20 mins left Butch was bring every cocky with how he won the challenge and had a extra half hour. Which of course annoyed me, no matter what if you win or lose you have to go at it with a sense of pride and humility. But the way he was doing it was trashy.
When we had to show off our mine was first out
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Then the others came out after. Once they started to look at the hard lines and the mistakes we may have made.
Then they started to call names "Natalie, Gear, Anglia, Nicole you are all safe and may go back to the lounge"
Sophia, Butch, Shannon you guys are in the top and safe. Holy Cow, that is amazing, all I know is that my journey is not done here and I get to keep going and show my strengths and weakness as a person.
Mythica, Alan, Shawn now we have a few questions in order to decide who is going home this week.
