MCKINNEY, Texas — Jerry and Natalie Levy have always been fond of unique art. Step right into their Dallas home and you'll feel like you've been transported to an art gallery.
"It's just part of who we are actually," said Jerry.
The pieces extend even beyond the home and into their beautifully spacious backyard. But their latest art piece can be found right on Jerry's head. With the help of an anaplastologist, Jerry's right ear has been replaced by a near exact silicone replica.
"Picasso did his thing and she does her thing," said Jerry.
Jerry had a rare, but aggressive, skin cancer called Squamous cell carcinoma. It happens to be the second most common form of skin cancer. The cancer growth led to Jerry losing his right ear.
Jerry and Natalie were referred to Allison Vest of Mosaic Prosthetics in McKinney. She has been in the business of "blending artistry and technology" since 2013, and has been featured on a TLC show called "Body Parts." Her lifelike prosthetics are also life-changing for her clients. The people who come to her have lost a nose, or an ear, or even toes.
"[It's about] at the end of the day going home and saying 'I made a difference,'" Vest said.
Vest loved art and gravitated toward it because her mother was a school art teacher. She never thought she could turn it into a career.
Her small silicone molds are truly works of art. Her ability to capture the real attributes of skin and body parts down to its colors, texture, and veining, is really special. Allison Vest has perfected the imperfect.
"I can almost see it in my head what I can make for them. It's about giving people the ability to feel comfortable leaving the walls of their house," said Vest.
Vest's office is filled with silicone noses, fingers, ears, and every other non-weight bearing body part she specializes in. Before the TLC show she was already quite busy and now she has been bombarded with so many requests for prosthetics.
"The C-word, cosmetic, we don't like it. We don't use that. An ear is not cosmetic and a nose is not cosmetic," she said. She says insurance companies use the word as a reason to not cover her work for her clients.
Jerry gets help from her wife Natalie to place the silicone ear each morning. Jerry and Natalie call it "invisible art" because many people would never know it's not real.
Allison Vest tells WFAA that her sole purpose is to satisfy the person sitting in her chair and doesn't mind that people 'on the outside' don't see her art.
"They go to her because they wanna be whole again," said Jerry.