443-878-2654

The pay-as-you-go plan was turning out to be too expensive for us so we signed up for an honest to goodness smartphone.

Now I can check email when I’m upstairs!  (Don’t act like that isn’t a big deal – because it is.  I promise you.)

Me: Who inspires you the most, right now?

Mark: My Students!  Every single one of them.

Me: What is your single favorite color to use?

Mark: Pink or Dark Pink (Paradise)

Me: Which color (beside white and black!) do you find yourself re-purchasing most often?

Mark: Wild orchid (Paradise)

Me: What are you practicing or doodling the most, lately?

Mark: I doodle when I teach and then I try to make them into something beautiful!  Otherwise, not much doodling.

Me: What design are you happy to paint over and over again?

Mark: Tigers and Butterflies.  I’m happy with either of those.

Me: Are you spending most of your time Face Painting or Body Painting, lately?

Mark: Let me put it this way: Face Painting is my Career.  Body Painting is my hobby.

Me: Where does most of your inspiration come from?

Mark: For the body painting, inspiration usually comes about a week before the shoot.  Like if I see a billboard while I’m driving.  I try to imagine the different shapes of the body in the design “Hey, That looks like a butt!” or “That could be the arm extending into the breast!”.

Me: What should we order for you on a Starbucks run?

Mark: White Chocolate Mocha w/a double shot of espresso

Thanks for your time, Mark.  Keep on rockin’!

Coastal Scents Brush Sale

They also sell micas & pigments (a.k.a glitter powder, gem powder, diamond dust etc.) in bulk.

Disclaimer: I’m not an affiliate, I don’t own the company, I don’t know anyone who works there.

when painting ten dots would work?

“done” is relative.

We need some chair chatter so we don’t look like absorbed artists (double unintentional alliteration).

Here are 9 Conversation Starters for when you don’t really know what to talk about:

1. “Sooooo… what’s it like in high school?” (to a 6 year old)
2. “Hi!  What’s your name?”   ” …George.“  “Oh, George?  Hey!  That was my name when I was a little boy too!”  (Female painter)
3. “Do you have any brothers or sisters at home?  Are they older or younger?”  (If Older)  “Do they still smell funny?”  (If Younger)  “Do you still have to babysit?”  (If middle kid)  “Awesome!  Do you like being in the middle?”
4.  “Do you have any pets at home?  Do you take good care of them?”  What color etc…
5. (while painting a tiger) “You know, my tiger at home goes ‘ROOOAR!’   What does your tiger say?”
6. “Who is your favorite princess?”
7. “Are you married yet??  Is he your husband??”  (point to daddy)
8.  “Do you have a girlfriend yet?”  “No!!!! “  “Oh.. so you’re married already???  Boy, you look a little young.”
9.  (while painting a puppy) “My puppy at home says “mooooo”.  Does your puppy say that?”

And to that end, I dislike blog posts w/o pictures so here is a recent one:

Do you have a special funny phrase you whip out when you are face painting?  Let me know in the comments :)

FABAIC 2010

Will I see you there next year????

Usually my swirls and curls are Thin-Thick-Thin, but my daughter’s princess crown was calling out to me.  It had the usual “filigree” curls but the ends were teardrops. Light bulb!

So as you can see, when I am learning something new it takes me a few tries…

Inspiration and First shot...

And some practicing on my arms...

And legs...

And other legs...

And legs again

You guessed it... it's another leg

Ah ha! I knew I had another arm shot in there.

And then!  And then I might be able to try it on my self again…

Lovely "five head" there, Michelle...

And then I bribe our daughter to let me give it a shot on her :)

Awwww... she is such a princess.

So my lessons learned:

1. Alison Kenyon rocks! at her filigree crowns.
2. Filigree with brushwork gold first and then adding brown takes a loooooong time.  Sponge the gold background and then use brown line work.
3. Darker colors work best for this style.
4. I don’t need to highlight each and every single brown line at the end.
5. I need to get Z to teach me her eyelashes…