By the time Taylor Dureg graduated from Farrington High School in 2013, nail design had become her passion. Not conventional shape-and-polish manicures or even multicolor designs, but three-dimensional works of art that might include artificial pearls, rhinestones and other eye-catching bling. (Think: The masterpieces Desna (Niecy Nash) and her manicurists create at the Nail Artisan salon on TNT’s “Claws,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays)
Dureg, 23, looks forward to eventually taking the 350 hours of formal training required for a Hawaii nail technician license. She currently works full time as a sales clerk at Lex Brodie’s in Kakaako where customers often comment on her latest designs. She’ll take supplies and her illustrations to Salon Glitter on Keeaumoku Street, where she works with a manicurist to bring her ideas to life.
JOHN BERGER: You came to the newsroom straight from the nail salon. How long did it take to get your nails done?
TAYLOR DUREG: About 2-1/2 hours.
JB: Could you do something that complicated on your own nails?
TD: Yes, with practice I could.
JB: What got you interested in doing nail art?
TD: Art has always been a part of life and now that I’m always working, this is the way I express myself. I have my art on my nails. I can see my creation on my nails every day and other people can see it.
JB: Aren’t you worried about damaging your nails while you’re at work?
TD: No. I kinda know where I have to be careful. You have to get used to them. When I had longer nails people would say, “I bet you don’t do dishes.” But you’d be surprised at what you can do with long nails — or with nails like this. It’s how you position your hands when you do certain things.
JB: Has anything unusual happened while you were working?
TD: Eight out of 10 people who notice my nails are guys, but one day a lady (customer) took a picture of my nails. She called several weeks later and left a message saying that she was taking the picture to a salon so they could do her nails like that.
JB: Is there something about you that might surprise people?
TD: I’m a typical Hawaii girl going to the beach, but I can’t swim so I go there to pick (up) the shells. I like the small little ones. I collect them. Sea glass and little shells. If you go to the right beaches you can actually find whole shells.
JB: What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?
TD: I want to have my degree in business, specializing in human resources, and also have my certification to do nails. People ask me where I get my nails done and someday I want to be able to tell them that I did them myself. In 10 years I’d like to be financially stable and doing nails professionally on the side.
“On the Scene” appears weekly in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Sunday Magazine. Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.
