ThisWeek News: Artist finds niche using human canvas

Bobbi Jo Gonzalez is a nurse in the emergency department at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. But when she’s not working at the hospital, she is putting her artistic talents to use in a very creative way.

She is the owner of Afterhock Art, where she does face painting, henna and full body painting. This includes something she calls “maternity painting,” where she paints scenes on the bellies of pregnant women.

Bobbi Jo was recently interviewed and photographed by ThisWeek News about her talent. She told the newspaper that Aftershock Art got its start seven years ago after she worked at a haunted house and had to do her own makeup. From there, she took an interest in this art form and began learning more about it.

"I knew instantly, 'I will be a body painter,'" she told reporter Kevin Parks. "I've always been an artist. I thought how cool it would be to paint on people."

Bobbi Jo told the newspaper that she really enjoys painting the pregnant bellies.

"Anything that's big and round and bare is a great canvas," she said.

According to the story, Aftershck Art has painted a variety of styles, including:

· Pumpkins

· Flowers

· Goldfish bowls

· An oven

· A zombie baby coming out of the stomach for an expecting mother who was participating in a “zombie walk” event

For the ThisWeek story, Bobbi Jo worked to paint a scene from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on the bump of an expecting mother.

To read the story that appeared in ThisWeek News, just click on the newspaper’s logo.