FACULTY

Learn from the Best

CMU is deeply committed to delivering the best possible education to aspiring makeup artists. Our award-winning and internationally acclaimed faculty are dedicated to passing on their knowledge and passion for makeup artistry.

Barbara Alexander

Fashion

Barbara's career in fashion makeup artistry has spanned over 30 years. Her work has appeared in major fashion magazines including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
Along with making up some of the world's most famous faces - Naomi Campbell, Isabella Rosselini - and spending countless hours on editorial photo shoots, commercial sets, backstage at runway shows, episodic TV shows, and on-air appearances. Barbara was the co-founder and VP Product Development for Cargo Cosmetics and was also responsible for trend forecasting for FACES Cosmetics. She was the recipient of the Canadian Network of Makeup Artists (CNoMA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

Samantha Breault

Film & Television, Prosthetics, SPFX, Creature Design

Samantha is a multi-talented artist and an alumna of CMU. Since graduating from the Comprehensive Makeup Artist Program, Samantha has worked in prestigious special makeup effects shops including Tinsley Studio, Spectral Motion, Optic Nerve, and Fractured FX, Inc. She specializes in special makeup effects, as well as silicone and foam painting and fabrication. Her film and television credits include Stranger Things, Santa Clarita Diet, American Gods, The Knick, American Horror Story: Freak Show, Westworld, and Insidious.

Jorge Chaves

Photoshop, Career Planning & Digital Portfolio Creation

Jorge Chaves is a professional photographic retoucher who specializes in commercial advertising. He has over 17 years of experience and is often sought out by top Canadian photographers. Jorge's client list includes Toyota, Mill Street Brewery, FedEx, Kraft, Royal Bank, Subaru, Dairy Farmers of Canada, and Crimestoppers. His work is regularly featured in print and billboard advertising throughout North America.

Kat Crisp

Film & Television

Kat Crisp is an alumna of CMU College and has a BA in psychology from York University. Since graduating CMU in 2009, she has amassed over 75 credits within the film and television industry, with many premiering at film festivals around the world including half a dozen premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kat's celebrity clients have included Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, Sophie Turner, Darryl Hannah, Laura Vandervoort, Francis Conroy, Daniel Stern, Eliza Dushku, Rose McGowan, Marina Sirtis, Ian Somerholder, and musicians such as Lights and Sam Roberts Band. Kat also regularly hosts master classes with top industry brands and she loves bringing CMU graduates on set with her for real world experience.

Steven Dawley

Prosthetics, Creature Design, SPFX

Steven is an alumnus of CMU who has had a rich career in special makeup effects. Over the past 15 years, he has worked with directors including David Cronenberg and Oscar-winning makeup artists Stephan DuPuis and Dave and Lou Elsey. Steven's film and television credits include Pacific Rim, Maps to the Stars, Resident Evil: Retribution, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Wolves, Silent Hill, Clown, Saving Hope, Bitten, and Remedy.

Carmela (Carm) Dos Santos

Hairstyling & Fashion

Carm began her career as a hair stylist straight out of Marvel Beauty School in Toronto. Worked for many high end salons throughout the 70’s, 80’s to mid 90’s. Has owned and operated her own salon during that time. Realizing her dream job to work in film from 1997 and still active in film today. In between film work she has gone back to Marvel Beauty School to instruct and inspire future hairstylists and has also worked in men’s hair replacement studios on her down time.

She still gets excited about hair and hopes to contribute to the film world and inspire young cosmetologists to fulfil their dreams as she did hers.

Jessica Fulmer

Film & Television

Jessica Fulmer has been a working makeup artist in Toronto since she moved here in 2005. Originally from Nova Scotia; Jessica has always had a passion for cosmetics and creativity. Working primarily within the film and television industry she loves the ability to bring characters to life on screen.Her body of work includes The Stanley Dynamic, Holly Hobbie, The Swap, Stage Fright and Edge of Winter. She has had the pleasure of working with Ruby Jay, Tom Holland, Joel Kinnaman, Minnie Driver and Meatloaf.

She is also the current Head of Academics of CMU.

A graduate of Complections herself; Jessica is passionate about sharing her skills and knowledge and enjoys mentoring up and coming artists.

Sarah Jane Hall

Film & Television

Margot Keith

Hairstyling, Fashion

Margot's talent for creating unconventional looks was first developed when she trained at Vidal Sassoon as a hairstylist. Since then her hair and makeup expertise has helped her land coveted jobs in television, magazines, and online. Margot is a regular contributor to Fashionmagazine.com. Her celebrity clientele has included Boy George, Ryan Gosling, Pitbull, the Backstreet Boys, Wyclef Jean, and Peaches. Margot has also worked extensively in advertising and in television, including on the series Heroes Reborn. She has taught at LA Makeup Academy (Dublin), London College of Fashion UK, and OCAD. When she's not teaching, Margot takes private clients and provides consulting services to film and television production companies including the CBC.

Jennifer Kranjec

Theatre

As a long-standing makeup artist for the Canadian Opera Company and a member of the film union IATSE, Jennifer has worked on principal performers, chorus members, leading actors, and models. Her work has appeared in over 100 Canadian Opera Company productions including La Bohème, Otello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Madame Butterfly, La Traviata, The Magic Flute, and The Barber of Seville. Jennifer has also worked on films including X-Men and Cinderella Man and on musical theatre productions such as The Lion King and Ragtime.

Lori-Ann Lazary

Fashion

For more than 30 years, Lori-Ann has shared her passion and expertise in makeup with some of the top photographers in Toronto, New York, London and Paris.

Her work has appeared in fashion publications such as Flare, British Elle, Italian Vogue, Glamour and Chatelaine. Her advertising clients for both print and commercial work include The Bay, Harlequin books, Sony, Bell Canada, Revlon, Sporting Life and Holt Renfrew among others. Celebrity clients have included Malin Ackerman, Shay Mitchell, Nick Bateman, and Darryl Sitler to name a few.

Lori-Ann's creative eye and love of art, sees the face as the canvas and the makeup as the medium. Her easy going manner, presence on set, skill to work quickly, collaborate with the team, help bring the client's vision to life.

Ethan Maksimovich

Creature Design, Digital Sculpting, ZBrush

Ethan is an alumnus of CMU, and a graduate of the Digital Makeup Effects Program. After a decade spent cooking in restaurants across Canada, Ethan decided to push what was once just a hobby to the next level, leaving the kitchen behind to pursue the study of sculpture. His passion for working in clay eventually led to ZBrush - a new frontier of digital creation, one untethered from traditional material restraints.

Inspired by the work of artists like illustrator Mike Mignola, and concept artist Pablo Muñoz Gómez, Ethan's approach to creature and character design borrows heavily from the natural world, while taking influence from sources like Dungeons & Dragons, H.P. Lovecraft, and the comic books he grew up with. Ethan's work has been featured by The Monster Makers Instagram page, and in addition to CMU he has done freelance work for Trent University.

Lynda McCormack

Film & Television

Lynda has had an impressive career with over 84 film and television projects to her credit. She worked as Makeup Department Head for shows including Bitten, Flashpoint, Lost Girl, Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Saving Grace, Fugitive Pieces, The Listener, Shades of Black, and Born to be Blue. She has also amassed many movie of the week credits. Her celebrity clients include Wesley Snipes, Sidney Poitier, Ethan Hawke, Shirley MacLaine, Paul Gross, Lara Flynn Boyle, Gordon Pinsent, and Megan Follows.

Mason Mummery

Creature Design, Figurative Sculpting, Life Drawing, Prosthetics

Mason is an expert sculptor, lab technician, and fine artist. He brings a wealth of experience into character creation and concept development. Mason previously worked as a Studio Technician at OCAD, where he taught students the technical methods of clay modelling, mould making, woodworking, and bronze casting. His knowledge of fabrication techniques and his lifelong interest in film and television drive him to inspire and educate future digital makeup effects artists.

Lesley Olson

Theatre, Film & Television

Lesley is an established Makeup Artist in several fields from fashion to print advertising, as well as the music industry. During her career, she has worked with such names as Sting, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Adams, and Paul Stanley of Kiss fame.

Lesley also became heavily involved in the world of musical theatre as Head of Makeup for Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Technicolour Dream Coat with Donny Osmond, and Ragtime with Audra McDonald. She also worked on productions such as Lion King, Hairspray, Pricilla Queen of the Desert, Kinky Boots and Lord of the Rings. Lesley's credits in the film and TV industry include films such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil as well as many TV series including The Boys, The Expanse, 12 Monkeys, Shadow Hunters and Suits.

Through her teaching and mentorship, Lesley continues to share, inspire, and encourage a new generation of makeup artists.

Liz Robertson

Hairstyling & Fashion

Liz Robertson is an accomplished Makeup artist and Hairstyle who is well versed in the Toronto Fashion and Editorial industry.

Graduating with Honours some 20 years ago, Liz got her start by assisting hair stylists at salons, with weddings and backstage for events like Fashion Cares. Liz continued to develop her makeup skills by working for some world renowned makeup brands such as Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and NARS.

Shortly thereafter, Liz was signed with Plutino Group, a top agency representing Makeup, Hair and Fashion stylists. Here she began her freelance career and worked for various magazines like Glow, Chatelaine and Fashion, advertising and commercial clients such as The Bay, La Senza, Joe Fresh, Toyota, Tim Horton's and Verizon to name a few. Liz's work has appeared on celebrities during TIFF and has been showcased in numerous fashion magazines. Her celebrity clients include James McAvoy, Bryan Cranston, Sass Jordan, and Stephan Mocchio.

Liz continues her freelance work through P1M while maintaining her full time teaching position at CMU as Department Head of Hair and Fashion Makeup Instructor.

Elle St. Aubyn

Fashion

Elle St. Aubyn is an established Toronto makeup artist with over 20 years of experience. She graduated with honors from The School of Makeup Art and Bruno's School of Hair Design where she excelled in makeup artistry and hairstyling. Elle has been employed with many prestigious makeup companies including MAC, Lancôme, Cargo and Urban Decay and has also worked for CBC Television. She stays in high demand thanks to her professionalism, artistry and niche skills in hair, and makeup application for global skin tones. She continues to adapt her skills to stay on trend with the latest hair and makeup products and techniques and brings her passion for enhancing natural beauty to every client. More recently Elle has become a permittee in both Toronto film unions, NABET 700 M-UNIFOR and IATSE 873 most recently wrapping the project The Kings of Napa which can be viewed on OWN.

Alexander Silberberg

Prosthetics, Creature Design

Alexander possesses a degree in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Soon after, he discovered that special makeup effects was his true passion and he attended CMU's Complete Makeup Artist Program. Since graduating Alexander has worked in the film and television industry both on set and in special makeup effects labs. His film and television credits include Defiance, Incorporated, Man Seeking Woman, People of Earth, Cardinal, and The Silence.

Lorna Thibodeau

Film & Television

Lorna Thibodeau is a versatile makeup artist with over a decade of experience in fashion, film, & television. She is a graduate of CMU who immediately found work after graduation by assisting & apprenticing with local make-up artists.

Her portfolio is constantly growing and evolving by working with photographers, celebrated make-up artists, and award-winning industry experts! She’s worked on the Netflix trending miniseries “SELF MADE: INSPIRED BY THE STORY OF MADAM C.J WALKER , the CBS political miniseries “THE GREEN ROOM”, starring Jeff Daniels & Holly Hunter. The CBS pilot “CLARICE” - the highly anticipated follow-up to the classic 1991 Johnathon Demme film “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS”.

Most recently she has found herself on the set of the award winning “WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS” as the BG Coordinator for seasons 3,4 and 5. Lorna worked as a Makeup Assistant on Disney’s ZOMBIES 3 as well as Key Makeup for WORLD’S BEST, another Disney production.

Paul Wollenzien

Digital Sculpting, ZBrush

Paul has formal training in Digital Visual Effects, Digital Character Animation, and Classical Animation. He is an expert in digital sculpting and ZBrush, the industry standard for digital character modeling. His extensive career in visual effects and 3D digital sculpting has led him to work for Disney, Cineplex, and The Globe and Mail. Paul also runs his own multi-disciplinary production studio, Rune Entertainment, which specializes in commercial, digital, and animation productions.