paintings finger nails have become the fashion in the hands of artists

  Animal prints, polka dots, colors and glitter. This gradient is not to drop the hottest patterns for fabrics, they are the hottest looks for nails.

Nail art is always wild and crazy hours, thanks to celebrities like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, who have been seen wearing leopard prints, art deco designs and 3-D charms and jewelry. And female athletes at the Olympic Games in London this summer were sporting tiny Union Jacks and German flags.

The trend is still new in Austin, but it is to say before you pick up some of the hottest artists in Austin nails.

"I believe because it is individual control and wearable art is a hot trend," said Meghann Rosales, an artist who makes nails private events and parties. Nails runs Y'all popular tumblr page (nailsyall.tumblr.com). "It's not a big deal here. A New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or the United Kingdom, it is, but here in Austin, it's just not a big scene, but I think it will. Usually we have only one notch below this sort of thing. "

Rosales made nails for about a year in Austin after leaving his job as a professor of history at school in the Bronx. She fell in love with the wild, they could nail nail in stores in his corner of New York and surrounding areas. Rosales was also comics for years and discovered that transferred its skills.

"These small regular lines since I was 15 years with the comics, all of a sudden, it's something that people value on nails," Rosales said the works on natural nails as opposed to the acrylic. "It was really cool to think that you can take these 10 small paintings and art as a legitimate art form."

The sky is the limit when it comes to design, say, nail artists. Nearly everything trendy logos, designs a logo to be translated to seasonal favorite football team in a nail with different types of polishes and super-fine brushes, cartoon characters.

Since the draft infinitely customizable in terms of color, shape and texture, can nail a peaceful expression of individuality, the same revolt, in an enterprise environment or buttoned uniform.

Christ Outlaw is a nail artist for 15 years and works with natural nails and acrylic. Based in Reno, Nevada, he is flying to see in Austin every week customers in Salon Joie De Vive le East Sixth Street. Outlaw is for the boundaries in acrylic, with a rainbow of colorful acrylic powder nails known to create. It integrates 3-D elements such as lace, feathers, jewelry and amulets. She even uses acrylic powder to bows, flowers and butterflies, which are part of the nail does it make. Some of these powders, and glow in the dark.

"Many of my clients inspire me," she says, sitting in his office in Joie De Vive, surrounded by hundreds of glasses with a rainbow glitter acrylic powder filled. "My customers are more than customers, they are my friends. I get them on a personal level" know, with designs from their lives and their interests.

While some customers nervous about the idea of ​​the beautiful designs on your nails that will surely die, impermanence is part of the attraction, said Rosales.

"This is not meant to be permanent," she said. "It's a funny thing. I do not think you pay attention to my nails and I do not expect my clients to be either. Your hands."

Nails with regular polish last seven to 10 days, conducted while she can go nail gel shellac or varnish can take three weeks, and acrylic nails even longer.

A number of natural nails with art and a mini manicure usually cost about $ 25 - $ 50, depending on the model, said Rosales. A set of false nails Outlaw Run $ 55, $ 40 for fillings and nail supplements start at $ 5.

"If you're going to finish this, crazy, because it's a crazy thing," said Rosales.

Esther Robards-Forbes writes for Westlake Picayune. You can contact her at 912-2548.