By paNOW

Former La Ronge resident vying for Inked cover

Sep 25, 2018 | 3:00 PM

A woman who grew up in La Ronge is now in an international competition to appear on the cover of Inked magazine.

Shelly Chell, who models under the name Luna Lithia, now lives in Alberta and is one contestant in Inked Magazine’s Cover Girl Contest competing for votes which would earn her a chance to be featured on the publication’s cover.

Chell wasn’t initially planning on running in the contest.

“I had submitted a profile for the amateur entries, and I went to the website to have it deleted, then I saw there was the contest, and I decided to enter,” Chell said. “Eventually I got chosen to compete in the contest.”

Chell said she’s excited to be involved in the contest, and said it would be a cool opportunity to be featured in a magazine with the calibre of Inked. The amateur model hasn’t done much work yet, and figured an appearance in Inked would be a major boost for her career.

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The model said she discovered alternative modeling back in the MySpace days and was interested in turning it into a career from there. Alternative modeling typically features counterculture or underground type models according to Chell.

Tattoos in particular appealed to Chell as a way of self-expression.

“I like to think that my tattoos tell a story about my life, and they will always have some sort of meaning for me,” she said.

Chell estimates she’s spent 20 hours on her tattoos, which feature a variety of animals and nature, which in part ties into her culture as a Cree woman. She said she prefers to get tattoos that will have meaning for her in 10 to 20 years.

She’s in the process of deciding how to tackle her next sleeve, but she wants to make sure she’s happy with the concept before she starts getting the work done.

Inked Magazine’s first contest round, featuring groups of women competing to land in the top 30 pool began on Sept. 17. Voting is open until Oct. 2. Chell, who’s currently in 11th place overall, explained people who wish to support her can vote once a day, or pay one American dollar to cast more votes in a day.

Should Chell move on, she would find herself in a fierce voting competition through October, with each week thinning the crowds until the final rounds of voting begins. An eventual winner will be crowned on Nov. 20.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas