ABOUT ME:
Born & raised in CT, moved to FL for Art School (and fun!😉), and ended up here in SoCal back in 2000, doing the whole acting thing. When I got burned out with that…. I finally decided to put that art degree to work…. and started my own business doing face painting. I slowly kept adding more fun and creative things to my business, like body painting, glitter tattoos, balloon twisting, nail-art, unicorn/festival braids, crafts, and more…… as well as taking on more artists…. cause I just couldn’t do it all myself! I’m constantly learning new designs, attending face & body painting conventions all over the world, and participating in workshops and taught by some of the most famous artists in the industry, like Svetlana Keller of Sparkling Faces in Liechtenstein, Elodie Ternois of Lodie-Up in France, and several others. It’s such an exciting industry being able to meet face & body painters from all over the world.. The best thing is IT NEVER FEELS LIKE A JOB!! Being able to go to “work” and really LOVE what you do is just the best feeling!!
😂 FUNNY THINGS WE OFTEN HEAR PARENTS SAY or DO TO THEIR KIDS REGARDING FACE PAINTING AT FESTIVALS:
Number 1. PARENT: “No facepainting, its only going to get washed off tonight”… I kind of laugh inside when I hear this cause it’s really a funny thing to say, cause if you think about it…. don’t you as an adult wash your makeup off at night?🤷♀️ It’s really the experience of being face painted that your child wants. It’s THEIR makeup for the day…💄 just like Mom wears makeup for the day. No, it’s not going to be something that you’ll have to play with tomorrow, but you’ll have pictures, and more importantly, your child will have a fun memory!! To me, that’s the best part, cause let’s be honest, do you really want another “material thing” in your house? We all have way too much “stuff”. Right?…. and if you’re buying a ticket to go on a ride….will you have that tomorrow? How about those fries you’re eating… will you have that tomorrow? If you spend a hundred dollars (we all know it’s more 😉) on skiing for the day… will you have that tomorrow? No, you won’t, but you’ll have the memory, right? (and maybe some soreness… and a BIG charge on your card 😝) With face painting, it’s all about the experience and the memories! Not everything you pay for lasts forever…. But memories do.
Number 2. While I’m painting their child…
PARENT: “here, take a bite of pizza while you’re sitting there doing nothing”.
FACE PAINTER: thinking 🤔 ….Ummm have you ever painted on a moving canvas? Chewing does cause the whole face to move… and if it’s moving… we can’t paint. (just so you know) 😉
Number 3: Asking their child questions while the child is being painted and knows and tries hard not to move. PARENT: “Does it tickle?” “Does it feel funny?” “Are you excited?” Many times the child doesn’t respond cause they know they can’t move or their design could get messed up, but many times they will shake their head yes or no… usually right as my brush is adding a tiny detail… and suddenly that detail goes right across their face. 😵💫 😞 Parents, please save the questions for when they’re all done.🙏🏼
Number 4: Child sits in my chair and tells me what design they want painted. I load my brush, and am about to begin. PARENT: “Are you sure that’s what you want? How about the princess?” CHILD: “No, I want the unicorn!” PARENT: “You got that last time, let’s do the princess.” CHILD: “No, I want the unicorn!!” PARENT: “Oh how about the rainbow! You love rainbows!” CHILD: “NO!!!” Trust me parents, when they know what they want…. they know what they want! Plus…I usually have a super long line of kids to paint. So I really do appreciate them knowing what they want before they sit down! 🥰 Also, while you’re waiting in line… if you’re going to fix their hair, can you please do this while you’re waiting instead of after they sit down and I’m about to start?🙏🏼 That line just continues to get longer by the second.🥺
INFO REGARDING MY “REAL JOB” AND SOME MORE INFO TO CONSIDER WHEN ASKING A FACE PAINTER TO DO YOUR EVENT AT NO COST IN EXCHANGE FOR “EXPOSURE”:
Ummm…. Yes, this IS my “real job”.🫣 I have a degree in art (which wasn’t free) and am always attending many conventions, workshops, and jams (also not free)💰💰💰to continue learning more designs, getting new inspiration, learning new tips, learning special fx for the film industry, and trying new products and tools that are always coming out. This “real job” is actually how I pay my bills. I honestly can’t pay my bills on “exposure”. I spent many years getting exposure when I first started, but this now really IS my full-time job. It might look like we’re just doing this for fun…. And it definitely IS fun no doubt!! But we do have living expenses to pay every month just like everyone else. There’s a lot more to being a professional face and body painter than most people realize, plus these professional supplies that we use are really quite expensive! I mean, can anybody afford to just give several days of pay up at your job to work for free? Would you be offended if your boss asked you to work a free day each week to donate to a cause? Do you negotiate the rate your hairdresser charges? Or the doctor? It’s funny how many people will ask us to work for free or a discounted rate. Hmmm I wonder if my landlord would let me negotiate the rate every month? Or if my dentist would do braces or implants in exchange for exposure?!! 🤔🤔🤔 In all honesty, it’s a bit sad that many people still don’t appreciate the arts….especially in LA of all places!
SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FACE PAINTING:
The supplies that we use are not what you would find in any local store such as Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or even Amazon. Those products are literally paint and actually contain lead!!! Unfortunately, “hobby painters” or inexperienced painters, use these unsafe products and give the professionals a bad rap because of what they’ve experienced in the past when hiring a “less expensive” face painter. These products have sometimes caused severe allergic reactions, burns, and do not come off easily with soap & water. Some inexperienced painter's actually even use acrylic paints!! Professional face painters use only FDA approved-for-skin, hypoallergenic, cosmetic-grade, vegan supplies that easily wash off with soap & water. These products can only be purchased online from a handful of reputable, well known within the industry vendors, the manufacturers, or at the face & body painting conventions. They definitely aren’t cheap, but they are made specifically for skin. Technically, they are theatrical makeup. Same with our glitters. They are not craft glitters that are made with metal. They are cosmetic-grade, made with ultra-fine polyester. So why am I telling you this? It’s because I’m a parent too, and I get why you might want to find a “better deal” or lower price face painter for your event, but I’m also pretty sure you’d want to know what exactly we are using to paint on your child’s skin. Most professional face painters will charge around $100-$150 an hour, so if you find someone that charges under that, you can be sure they are not using safe, professional supplies or even carry insurance. This is definitely the meaning of “you get what you pay for”. I mean…. If you’re looking to buy a new stove… wouldn’t you prefer the Viking over the Easy Bake Oven? 😂🤣 Ok ok…. that might have been a little extreme, but you get the picture. 😉