About
When I started doing face painting as a summer job in California almost 7 years ago, I never knew I'd continue for the rest of my life, now I do.
Doing face and body painting for kids of all ages is a very wonderful and gratifying experience; I just can't get enough of everybody's smiles and laughter. Just making children happy, and thereby also making their adults happy is extremely rewarding in itself, and I get the added bonus of getting to be creative, getting to teach kids about art, getting to make new friends, and getting to have a lot of fun!
Well, I love doing all kinds of art and always enjoy learning new things. In college, my main art courses were sculpture and ceramics, but also included woodworking, printmaking, drawing and composition, portraiture, life drawing and life sculpture, art history, etc. I ended up with an A.A. degree in Art: with a three dimensional emphasis, and never took a single class in painting. So, most people are surprised to find out that paintings are now practically the only art I consistently make, and impermanent ones at that!
While doing face painting for kids, I pride myself on several factors. Friendliness, patience, being gentle, being quick, accuracy in the design, and attention to detail are just a few of these. I always try to make the child feel comfortable, especially if they're a little anxious or scared because they've never been painted on before. Many kids are also shy around new people, so I really try to get down on their level and introduce myself, be friendly and be sure to talk with the kiddo's parents, family, or friends so that he or she would know that there's no need to be afraid. Some kids, even if they love getting a face painting, can't help but be wiggly, so in those cases I attempt to adjust my style to be a little quicker so they won't have to try and be patient for longer than they can. I also often recommend getting art on their arm instead; many children feel more comfortable with that and it's easier for them to stay still when they're watching the magic happen!
Images this page credit Casey Webb Lemus and Summer Cates. www.summercatesphotography.ifp3.com
