riotheclown | Entries tagged with face painting

Sometimes I have to start out by painting something on my arm to get the ball rolling. This time I had Daughter and Son-In-Law volunteer so that really helped. Before I knew it the line had grown and I was back to full speed again.

Fortunately there was lots of things for the kids to do at the street party so no one got too impatient. At one point D. pitched in by doing the prep for some of the more involved faces, blocking in the colour. (She could do it all really. She is very "crafty".) They gave me a tent so I was out of the sun and I took a couple of breaks. I don't mean to put too much importance on the whole face painting thing but I do really enjoy it, Iget in the zone, the sort of calm focus that I find when I am painting anything.

I tell each kid that I want to come as close to what they imagine as I can, that they can be the art director. I love to see a kid really feel they can communicate that and enjoy the result.

I like kids, they are, even at their worst, a positive force. One little guy came back to have his face redone after I had packed up the stuff. I could not "unpack" and I told him, "I know you are disappointed. That is hard but you can handle it. I know it. You are going to feel better." He wailed a bit. I got the impression his mom would have slipped me a $20 to open up my kit but I was on my way. He did manage to get distracted by a water pistol that I helped him fill up from the drinking water. Soon we were both laughing as he chased me around the yard shooting at me. We were friends again.

I was there for four hours! As I said, I did get a few more breaks than usual and some help. They had a parade of bikes that the kids decorated and I was offered a hot dog and a beer at the end. I was exhausted but happier than I have been for a while!

The girl who had the birthday has invited me to paint faces every year for the last three years. When I met her it was at her dad's client appreciation party. She wanted to be a clown. She was a very intense little girl. She is still intense but now is also very kind and generous. It was one of the nicest (and intense) group of kids I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

Now I say "work with" not intending to be entirely facetious. By the age of six imaginative thinking is an engine in kids. One must work with it or be prepared to be run over.

The biggest challenge of the day was "Rainbow Kitty Kat". It required I use every colour in my box. The satisfaction with the result made the effort worth it. I wish I had taken a photo.

I took no photos because I did not stop for two hours straight. The line just got longer. I didn't paint everyone of the twenty-five kids at the party but almost. Once the water balloons came out and then the pizza arrived my job was done.

This photo was after the chanting of "CUPCAKES! CUPCAKES! CUPCAKEX!" I mumbled something about "Lord of the Flies", the only person who laughed in agreement was a grandmother, about my age.

I got paid. L's mom told me she told her, "RiotheClown is the best face painter ever! She can do anything!"

I wonder if I can keep up my repertoire to meet L's expanding expectations, or if I will have to pass my brushes and paints off to a younger, stronger clown...

Cinco De Mayo was super fun! There were at least a dozen kids some of them only weeks old!

I had a really good time painting kids faces. It was held in a restaurant on College Street West restaurant. As always it took a bit of time for the kids to start lining up for face paint but I am happy to say I got to paint two green monsters, two sunsets, several flowers, a butterfly and a few princesses! I was busy enough I forgot to take pictures. These were courtesy of the owner.

Some one brought me a Margarita, delicious and highly alcoholic! So much for me trying to dance!. I stuck to my corner and just watched. This picture was taken by the host. The piñata was a tough one. Those kids were tired by the time it burst open!

One little girl told me that if her dad were there he would have been dancing. So I asked if he had to work and she said, "He's dead." She went on to tell me a lot about him. I asked if she was sad when she thought about him and she said she was happy because she could remember him and he was funny. I had a chance to talk to her mom. He died in palliative care in British Columbia fourteen months ago. She said the facility and staff were "wonderful" and made the grief much easier for her and her daughter.

I complemented her on her parenting. Obviously, she is doing well if she and her daughter are able to talk about it. So many adults don't know how to deal with death and grief and it leaves children lonely and confused. Often children feel they have to care for the surviving parent and never get to process their own loss in a way that makes it possible to remember the deceased or talk about them.

I am so often surprised and impressed by kids. When you get to talk to them as people (or as Buddhas) they can really blow you away!

Si?

I doubt I will do anything as scary as this because I will be there to paint kids faces, but you never know! I think I will dress in Mexican garb rather than as a clown. Last time I was told that "kids think clown's are scary" and so, since it is a Cinco De Mayo party I should at least dress up as a Senora. ?

cinco de mayo 015

That last photo is of me practicing! Scary. Fortunately kids have smooth faces for even lines!

Current Mood: awake

https://www.facebook.com/LOCALENHANCEMENTandAPPRECIATIONofFORESTS?hc_location=stream leslievilletreefestival 016 (2) (640x480)

I was late getting there but honestly, I don't know if I should not have stayed home except for the fact that it gave me a hilarious tale of woe to make G.D. laugh. It was pelting down rain. It would clear enough for a new line up of kids wanting their face painted and then it would pour again. I couldn't stop in the middle of making a kid into Spiderman could I? So the kid and my top half stayed relatively dry under my orange umbrella while my backside was just a river. Ofcourse my rain cape was soaked in my bag so there was no point trying to wear it. My new paints were floating. It was more like abstract impressionism but thankfully the kids didn't seem to mind. One kid wanted to be Iron Man and I could not remember what he looked like so we invented a new super hero: Metal Spider. "He might be a villian." The sun came out at 4:00pm just when it was all packing up. I was so soaking wet even my underware was sopping. I walked for miles trying to find an ATM so I could get change to catch a bus. I stopped in a bakery where the nice employee let me come back to the kitchen where it was warm. (I thought at one point that if I peed my pants it would at least be warmer.) I made it to an convenience store and bought some tokens and then waited for the bus. It came to the other side of the street. I was at a bus stop but a guy came out of the business nearby and told me that it didnt come to that stop. Brilliant! I guess I looked enough like a bag lady, soaking wet and with a bundle buggy, that the driver (who could have easily leaned out his window and told me this before driving away) didn't care to have me on his bus. Oh well. While waiting another twenty minutes a guy getting on his motorcycle told me he had the same thing happen to him. I told him I was thinking of getting a motorcycle too. EXHAUSTED! I went to daughter's new house that they were busy moving into and she let me borrow some clothes. I drank a beer and left the bundle buggy there and then picked up groceries and headed back to deepest darkest Scarberia to make G.D. her supper and cheer her up with stories of my trials and tribulations. There's nothing she likes better than hearing funny stories about people suffering.

This is also posted on my blog, www.riotheclown.wordpress.com
Start with Basic Templates!
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Start with Basic Templates!
The important thing to remember when painting kids faces is that they often have a very vivid picture of exactly what they want to portray.

Have a poster with a few ideas ready beside you that they can look at while they are lined up. Be prepared to adapt your template of faces to satisfy them and remember, their imaginations are boundless.

Shy kids will often hang back for a while so let them. Do not press them to step up. Once they see the fun other kids are having they will often surprise you with how chatty they become. It is wonderful to see them transform into wild animals, monsters or magical beings when they see their reflections!

Use high quality, non-toxic face paints, keep your brushes clean and wipe them with an antibacterial solution between paintings. Reassure parents of the safety precautions you take or list them clearly on your poster.

Remember, do not take any pictures of children without permission. If you intend to publish the pictures on your website or promotional material have the parents sign a release.

Finally, remember to have fun. If you are outside under the sun stay hydrated and take breaks.

Being a clown is a special privilege. Face painting children is about fun first and artistry second so listen closely to the child, encourage him to express what he would like to portray and honor it!

Designs can vary from flowers, butterflies and stars to logos, team symbols and flags. Keep a good selection of colours for every possibility!

I once had a young man ask me to paint the Stanley Cup on his face and I am sorry to say, I didn’t know what it looked like! I did a sort of generic winners goblet on a square base all in grey with a bit of sparkle dust! I am happy to say the young man was quite pleased with it.

Designs usually appeal to the kids who do not want full face paint. Glitter adds drama to any design so have lots of colours to choose from. Check if the parents think they are old enough to understand not to rub their faces if there is glitter going on. It’s best to save this for older kids and adults.

Flowers can grow in vines from the forehead right to the collar bone. Five petalled flowers in many colours connected by green vines are nice. Stars, lightning bolts and diamonds are also popular.

Scenes are fun and can involve a bit of artistry as you mix paint to create sunsets and underwater landscapes. A popular scene is of space with a rocket shooting to the stars.

Water soluble paints offer the most freedom when it comes to blending. Use a high quality non-toxic product like Snazaroo™

Apply the base colour first with a barely damp sponge. If the sponge is too wet it will give a streaky effect.

If your design has lighter and darker colours, apply the lighter ones first. The make-up can be mixed to provide new colours

It is not far from where my daughter and F.S. have bought their new house and they will be moving in on the same day as the Festival! It will be an exhausting day no doubt!

I feel I have to do it. I went and got training as an Emerald Ash Borer Ambassidor and then have not handed out more than a couple of brochures about EAB. This way I can support LEAF and get rid of a bunch of information about the demise of the Ash trees and what can be done about it.

We lost our beautiful ash tree on the front lawn last year. It was very upseting. The house looks naked without it. I don't know the names of trees, not Latin anyway, but that tree was "the Elephant". I loved that tree so when I found out there was an opportunity to spread the word about EAB and fact that it could be treated, hopefully saving a few of these beauties until the last of the borer dies out (having eaten all the ash trees not being treated) I had to volunteer.

Cross fingers for a nice day.

This was Lily and I at the event I worked last weekend. She was the first kid to line up for face paint. She was an amazingly bright and capable three year old! She told me that when she grows up she wants to be a face painter too.

It's been a while since I did this. I hope it goes well. She is a lizard btw.

Here below is a cute picture of Diva I found while looking for one of Riverdale: divacouchsurfing

Day before yesterday I woke up and my knee was really swollen. Feeling around I found a bump with a tiny spike. I also thought it could be my arthritis which was bad. I ate potato chips on the weekend, while trying to play the Game of Thrones board game. TONS of potato chips. Potato chips are my cryptonite, I mean if I were in any way super. So I phoned my brother who is the authority of oueys of the limbs and he suggested I keep it elevated and apply ice every so often. Last night after managing a bike ride with it I finally got the magnifing mirror and some tweezers and pulled out a bit of something.

Could it have been a bee stinger?

It is much better today though I have gone back to the "click click" that it makes all the time whether it hurts or not. I had this mad idea that bee sting swelling would repair the torn cartilige in that knee. I don't know if it really is torn cartillige or just messed up from arthritis but for magical thinking it seemed good. When I was full on fighting cancer I believed that my favorite foods cured cancer.

I have a face painting gig! Daughter's future brother-in-law is holding some sort of event and wants me for two hours. I will be payed! I will take my clown costume but they have not asked for a clown just a face painter. :( Oh well. I go on a bit about clowning and kids http://riotheclown.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/face-painting-kids/