"Petty Girl" to Grinkie Girl.... A brief history of the pinup....

 by Michael Potter

Back in the 1930s there was a man named George Petty, and he decided that beautiful women are something that the world needed to see. Mr. Petty began creating art pieces that we know now as a 'pinup'. These lovely ladies became know as "Petty Girls" and were featured in major advertisements, calendars, and the cover image of Esquire No. 1.

A Jantzen Bathing Suit Ad featuring a Petty Girl

Another famous name to come out of the 1930s is Gil Elvgren. Born in Minnesota, he went on to study at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Some consider Elvgren to be one of, if not the most influential pinup artist of the 20th century. After his studies in Minneapolis, Elvgren moved to Chicago to work with Stevens and Gross, Chicago's most prestigious advertising agency. Elvgren worked with companies ranging from Coca-Cola to General Electric over a 40-year career.

A Gil Elvgren Original

In the 1950s, pinup models became household names and feature actresses in Hollywood. Women like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page took America and pop culture by storm.

During World War II, the pinup could be seen painted on the nose of military airplanes, the most famous being the Memphis Belle.

The art of the pinup never really ended, but in the 1960s went into a recession. However, some notable ladies, namely Raquel Welch, kept the pinup culture alive.

Fast forward to today. The culture of the pinup is not only alive but making a full resurgence into pop culture. You can find the classic images of Bettie Page and Marilyn Monroe on everything from tee-shirts to tattoos. Children and adults alike are falling in love with the pinup all over again.

Christi Williams and the Grinkie Girls are doing their best to bring the pinup culture to Minneapolis, turning everyday women into sassy pinups. Having fun is a safe, easy-going, loving atmosphere are the most important aspects of a photo shoot with the Grinkie Girls. The fantastic pictures are a byproduct of the lively environment.

Teaming up with the Grinkie Girls is Dawnfelice Warneke. She and the team at MN-Ups Magazine, out of a true passion for the lifestyle, worked hard to put together Minnesota's Premier Pin-Up Magazine, reintroducing Minnesota to the pinup culture and having fun along the way. 

Something Different - Monster Maternity Pin Up

Written by Mike Potter (Team Grinkie)

Our little brussel sprout

"Its nice if you can do something to make yourself feel beautiful when you are not physically feeling your best."  -- Tara

Not to often do you find a women that is eight months pregnant posing for a pinup shoot. Even less often do women make it eight months into a pregnancy without telling everyone they know through Facebook. Tara Leiran decided she was going to be different. 

"No one on Facebook even knows I'm pregnant," said Tara. With a few of the monsters of Christopher Mihm's movie's in studio, Tara decided she was going to do the shoot and show all her friends and family the result. "It's nice to feel pretty when sometimes you don't," said Tara while she was looking at her pictures. Nothing could have been more fun for Tara, or anyone else in the room that day then poking fun at all the traditional pregnancy poses by doing them with a monster. 

Tara makes it look easy

Pin Up Perfection - A Quick How To.....

Ready, Set, GO!

First we start with hair and makeup. It's a good idea to take a few minutes to search images on the internet for the pin up look you are wanting to get. There are many hairstyles and makeup choices  - but it's my hearty suggestion that you try something exaggerated. Ask your stylist to guide your selections to one that works well with your hair length and texture. Remember that a style should have a front-facing design, so that the beauty and detail of the style will show in your image.

While you are getting hair and makeup done, practice some pin up facial expressions.  Your facial expression will play a big part in your final look. You can start by practicing the vowels in an exaggerated manner. A, E, I, O, U.  Try a side look, a head tilt, a slight smirk. Practice in the mirror while you're being done up - it makes it a lot easier to remember and feel more natural on set.

Judy Garland, Photographer uncredited

What's Next

Now that you've been primped to pin up perfection, hair and makeup done, it may seem like the next step is wardrobe - and for many people, it will be their natural choice. But I will tell you that your next step should really be to consider which poses you want to try. Your wardrobe really can enhance your look once you know which angles and poses you plan to try.

 Poser!

There are several versions of classic pin up poses. Take a few minutes to review a few poses that you would like to try. Christi is great at knowing which poses enhance each person's individual assets, but don't be afraid to try something  new or racy. Some of the classic poses include: Legs Up, Stomach, The Sitting S, The Sitting C and many more. Sound like strange names? Take a look at some of these classics.

Leg Up/Bicycle (Gil Elvrin)

Leg Up Side (Gil Elvrin)

Sitting C (Gil Elvrin)

Sitting C (Gil Elvrin)

Sitting S - Peek A Boo (Gil Elvrin)

Stomach (Artist Unknown)

Sitting S (Gil Elvrin)

Get The Most Out of Your Camera Time

Once you see the similarities, you start to see a pattern. Imagine what makes you feel beautiful and sexy, what you can comfortably do, and get ready for some coaching. Getting the most out of your portrait sitting involves getting direction from our favorite Grinkie Photographer, Christi, who has a unique view of you, through the lens of her camera, lit to perfection.

Call Grinkie Photography at 612-382-8442 or drop us a note at GirlFriday@Grinkie.com to schedule your next pin up session. We can't wait to make YOU a Grinkie Girl (and Grinkie Girls have more fun)....

Valentines Day

Ladies - here's an excuse to get gussied up! Give your significant other (and yourself!) a Valentine of Grinkie kind. Mini sessions are an affordable way to release your inner pin-up. Come play in our walk in closet of vintage and vintage inspired clothing & lingerie, stress free!

We've got something amazing for every size!

The wall of shoes is seriously worth the trip by itself. Have a blast while Christi coaches your poses and captures your unique spirit on camera. Book for the Valentine mini session and let us make you feel like a queen for a day! $50 gets you your best retouched digital image.

And - we have many unique and exciting options for gifting your favorite image.

Guys - giving her a gift certificate and some encouragement will result in seriously fun and memorable returns - a sweet/sexy/classy photograph for YOU! How do you want to enjoy that special image of your Valentine? Take her to the office on a coffee cup or mouse pad, a tasteful frame for your wall or desk - we've even got cufflinks!!

So drop us a note to reserve your spot, and mark your calendars for January 12!

Pick Your 2013 October, November and December Calendar Girls

Ah, the end of November. Have you recovered from all the election ads and coverage? Going through ballot withdrawal? Missing something to "Vote" for?  I've got just the fix you need. 

Drop in to the Grinkie Girl site and pull the level (well, click) and vote for your favorite calendar girls. Don't forget to vote once for each month, October, November and December 2013!


Contest ends December 7th at midnight. Calendars will be available for sale at the end of December. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get a calendar with a bevy of beauties (all tasteful and SFW).

We've Reached Our 100th Grinkie Girl!!

We knew we were poised to reach this historic milestone at our November 17th mini session - but we could not have even imagined what a special event it was going to be.

So who is our 100th Grinkie Girl?

Autumn Koch of Saint Paul, Minnesota has wanted to have a pin up session for quite a while now. She scheduled to come to the 11/17 mini-shoot with her friend Amber Eisen-Ramgren. Amber is a personal friend of this Girl Friday - and she's been itching to experience being a Grinkie Girl from the first time she saw one of my pin-ups.

What makes this milestone so wonderful and enriching is Autumn herself.

Model: Autumn Koch   Photo: Christi Williams   Hair:Avis    Makeup: Dawnfelice

Autumn is a stage 4 breast cancer survivor.

"I'm not a survivor, I'm a thriver" - Autumn Koch

I will admit that I am getting a little verklempt here, because Autumn inspires me. I have long been one to promote the idea of being a "survivor, not a victim" in life. But Autumn takes that even further. She told me - as she was enjoying hair and makeup - that she is "not a survivor, but a thriver".

Autumn shared her story with me during her beauty session. She was diagnosed two years ago with stage 3 breast cancer while nursing her second child, a six month old daughter.  This woman fought the cancer with fierceness, and endured a double mastectomy and the removal of 16 lymph nodes. A year later, the cancer was back, in her brain. Not one to give up - she fought again, and is currently in remission.

Autumn is a terrific Grinkie Girl. She made the photo shoot look easy, as she is a natural in front of the camera. Avis knocked this hairstyle out of the park - giving her a classy and sassy pin curl look.

Model: Autumn Koch  Photo: Christi Williams   Hair: Avis  Makeup: Dawnfelice

 Considering that Autumn has had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction (she was SO amazing in the frank way she shared her life with me - and in turn - gave me permission to share it with you) so we pulled a few outfits that we thought would show off her wonderful figure while being comfortable for her to wear with her custom undergarments.

Model: Autumn Koch  Photo: Christi Williams   Hair: Avis  Makeup: Dawnfelice

As you can see - she rocked the photo shoot - twirling in a Marilyn inspired satin halter gown and high heels.

Welcome to being a Bona Fide Grinkie Girl, Autumn!! You inspire us!!

Milestone: Who Will Be Our 100th Grinkie Girl?

Could you be the 100th Grinkie Girl? We're poised to welcome our 100th Grinkie Girl to the fold. Some lucky lady will reach help Grinkie Girls reach this milestone at our November 17th mini shoot. Who will it be? It could be you!

We're getting ready to celebrate with extra fun and goodies for our 100th pin up.  '

Spots are still available for the Saturday November 17th mini sessions.

To see more of our Bona Fide Grinkie Girls, check out our website.

Halloween Shoot

Team Grinkie is excited to be shooting some of our bona-fide 'Grinkie Girls' at a special Halloween-themed event at Live Fast Die Young Tattoos in Minneapolis. We're looking forward to creating some classic pin-up looks as well as some more modern artistic visions.