Face to Face

Last week at our church Family Night Ice Cream Party, I ran the face painting booth. I had no idea what I was getting into. I figured I'd just draw some cute pictures of cats, spiders, flowers, bugs and turtles on the kids cheeks.

Not so, Amigo.

The kids wanted full-face theatrical makeup! All I had was a small set of face paint crayons (no black!) and some washable markers. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to create a couple of butterflies, a leopard and a knight. I even created a replica of Mr. Mistoffeles from the musical "Cats."

When I got home that night, I had a taco (I was starving, what can I say?) and realized I had a lot to learn about face painting. So I did what anybody else would do. I googled. Boy, oh boy! There's a whole world of face painting I didn't know existed! I'm not kidding! Some are "professionals" that charge $100 an hour! It's a career!

"What's your major?"
"Face painting with a minor in philosophy."

What really impressed me the most was the amazing talent of these face painters. I had no idea the work could be so detailed and intricate. But when you're doing a party, the key is speed. You don't want kids standing in line very long. Lucky for me, I'm fast at everything I do. Talking, walking, writing, cooking, reading, you name it. Just call me Speedy Gonzales. (Hey, is there a Latino theme running through this blog post?)

All this to say I've decided to take face painting seriously. I want to be the face paint lady. Next time I'll be ready. The Incredible Hulk? Piece of cake. The Joker? No problem. A Geisha? Easy peasy Japanesey.