New Party Service!

Canvas painting!  Traveling canvas painting, in fact.  I'll come to your location with everything needed and have a painting class for anyone ages 5 and up!

The difference between my classes and other canvas painting classes?  I use techniques geared toward actually teaching children (and adults) how to draw the subject based on simple shapes, as well as some color theory, giving the budding artists not only the one completed painting (what a party favor!), but also some skills to take home with them and use in the future as well.

For example, check out the shapes used to draw this honeybee, the request of a very creative 12-year-old girly-girl whose favorite color is blue.

Also, I cater each painting subject to the party honoree's preferences, rather than just working from a limited collection of choices, so each party is completely different!  Nothing is out of the realm of possibility!  You tell me a favorite animal, place, or activity, and I'll design the painting just for your party.

On top of all that, because I really do love to teach, children at canvas painting parties can expect to have fun leaning some facts about the subject matter of the painting as well!  Want to know about the differences between African and Asian elephants?  Invite me to your next party!

I think they're pretty darned cute, too!

Communion Season Again!

And I was back at Bottagra Restaurant again last weekend with the same great kids who came up with the soccer-playing elephant last year!

And I love the ones who won't look away from the mirror!

First Birthday

Last Saturday, I face painted and did glitter tattoos at a really fun first birthday for an adorable little girl.  She didn't get painted, but her family and friends sure did!

Oddly, I think this may have been my first ever Wonder Woman!  She insisted on the wristbands, which I loved doing.  She was such the superhero once she was done, calling for the little Spiderman I also painted, so they could save people together.

The Colombian flag was a hot ticket at this party - I'll never forget what it looks like! - as were flames and soccer balls.  Fun!

Yin yangs were popular too, most of which I painted.  But one boy was upset to see I didn't have a yin yang stencil for a glitter tattoo... so of course I did it freehand!

Another fun one was this My Little Pony, "Midnight Sparkle."  According to onlookers, she looked "just like" the pony, which made me happy!

And last, but definitely not least, was this "do whatever you want, I don't know" request.  I was happy to note that I had the exact aqua that matched her dress, which she loved.

Cherry Reds: Chapter Two

First Friday Fun Nights is becoming a hit!  This time when I was at the restaurant, I had people lining up almost as soon as I set up, and I heard them saying they'd come because of me, which is a great feeling.  Some had also checked out the Facebook photos and my website, and already decided what they wanted to be.

Because of that, I had a zombie girl all lined up, as well as several butterflies.

And one young lady just knew she had to be a tiger.

The funniest two may have been this Batman,

And this girl, who got an elephant at her mother's request.  She works at Cherry Reds, and when she told her mother about me, mom requested an elephant because they're her favorite.  When she texted a photo to her mom, mom said she was jealous and wanted one... how fun would it be if mom showed up for a face painting?!  I'm all for it!

This puppy and this pony thought they were challenging me, so it was fun to see their reactions once I was done.

The real challenge was actually this young lady, who took me up on my "I'll try anything" offer with a mischievous glint in her eye and asked for my first ever full-face fish painting.  There are things I'd alter now that I look at it... hindsight is 20/20, after all, but I think it's not bad at all for a wing-it first attempt!

The biggest coup, though, was this young man, who wasn't at all into getting painted until I started listing some ideas that might appeal, and he seemed intrigued by the dragon idea.  Well, by the time he saw the mirror, he was asking his parents to have me at his birthday!

Score!

A Fifth Anniversary

It's hard to believe, but yesterday was my 5th year painting at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC!  I was at my usual spot on Duane Street, and had a blast with all the creative ideas and the awesome staff.  The day started off great when I found out that my first line manager of the day was a graduate of my own alma mater - Brandeis University!  Of course, I graduated in 1992, and she was class of 2014, but still.  Brandesians are Brandesians.

Anyway, it was a great day with lots and lots of face painting.  I was nonstop for the 8 hours straight, and came home exhausted, but happy.

Everyone was terrific, but there were a few real wins yesterday.  One was a boy who wanted a red and black "jaguar with stripes," and who insisted upon that even though I explained that jaguars had spots & tigers had stripes and tried to clarify whether he really wanted a tiger.  Afraid that he'd be upset at a "jaguar" that looked way too much like a tiger if I just did stripes, I told him about ligers (a real animal born of a tiger & a lion, I've seen one in person and they're beautiful) and suggested I make the first-ever, just for him tiguar with both spots and stripes.  He agreed, and when I was done even wanted red glitter.  I didn't get a photo, but I'll remember his "That's the coolest!!!" for a long, long time.

Then there was this little girl, who really wanted an octopus, while mom was lobbying for a ladybug.  Mom relented, but the girl compromised on her own with a pink octopus.  Everyone there thought this was adorable, including mom.

And then there was the girl who couldn't decide between a kitty and a butterfly, so I offered a kittyfly.  So... here's my first ever kittyfly!  It was a win!

Now it just kinda stinks that Tribeca doesn't happen again until next April!

Cherry Reds: Chapter One

There's a new smoothie/shake/ice cream/soup restaurant in the area:  Cherry Reds.  It's just a town over, and we found each other on, of all places, Facebook!  There's something to be said for Facebook, I suppose, and definitely something to be said for supporting small, local business, which Cherry Reds does as much as humanly possible.

The couple that owns the restaurant is really terrific, as are their three kids.  They've jumped right in to the neighborhood, setting out to form relationships with other small businesses in the area and working on becoming a local hangout and party venue.

On Friday night, I had the great pleasure of face painting there for a few hours!  Their daughters were the first up.

Even more fun, they convinced mom to get involved!

I had so much fun during the two hours I was there, I can't wait for my next time!

In the meantime, the Cherry Reds family and I are planning lots of other sorts of events too, so stay tuned!