For hairstylist Heidi Oley, social distancing means more time on her hands to practice her skills.
So, she’s gotten creative and has decided to have some fun with it – by making her boyfriend the canvas for her masterful creations.
Oley and Geoffrey Clark, who live in Atlanta, relocated to her family’s secluded cabin in Ellijay, Georgia, a couple of weeks ago after she closed her hair salon due to the pandemic.
She thought she’d use the spare time to watch tutorials and brush up on some new techniques, so Clark offered to be her test subject. And suddenly, inspiration struck.
“I picked up the curling iron and decided to turn him into George Washington,” Oley told CNN.
Over the course of the last couple of weeks, Oley has experimented with countless hairstyles on Clark, who reports that some have involved a bit more hairspray than he had envisioned when he originally signed up for this.
Still, the process has been “super fun,” he said, and he’s always surprised by the end result.
“She doesn’t have a mirror in front of me so I can’t really see exactly what she’s doing,” he said.
Some of the most impressive hairdos include this hair-raising portrayal of Cindy Lou Who, the little girl from Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”
There’s the on-point depiction of Princess Leia, complete with the iconic “cinnamon buns” on the sides and a white bedsheet to mimic her costume.
This one is a throwback to the late ’90s, in spirit of all the girls who wore their hair to prom like so.
Here is Clark, artfully posing as Amy Winehouse.
And for all you cool cats and kittens who have been captivated by Netflix’s “Tiger King,” here’s Clark with the signature mullet of Joe Exotic.
Since posting her creations on Instagram, Oley said she’s gotten a lot of positive responses. Health care workers have thanked her for providing some levity during what’s otherwise been a challenging and stressful time, and fellow hairstylists have been grateful for the jolt of creativity.
As for the next hair challenge she’ll take on? Maybe Ace Ventura, Oley said.