face painting contest 1

 

Alison Kenyon

I started as a kid with my mom's old makeup. In HS other students began to know of me as the "go-to" person for Halloween, talent shows, etc, and I even did glamour makeup for several students' senior portraits. At age 21 (1992) I joined one of the nation's first modern burlesque troupes, and it was in our vaudeville shows that I met professional performers that inspired me to go to circus school and learn contortion, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, magic, and fire swallowing. I got into clowning full time in 1993, knowing that face painting would be my main focus. Along with being a clown and a face and body painter, I was also "Ms. Cherry Bomb" the circus artist; performing an acrobatic/contortion/
 

belly dance with 3 balancing bowls of fire, and a fire swallowing finale. I retired it in 2007. During this time I was also lead makeup artist / body painter for a San Francisco-based circus troupe called Velocity.

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE THAT? In high school I twice won a summer scholarship to attend a summer semester at Academy of Art College in San Francisco. I also won a trip to study art in Europe through a juried arts panel.

WHAT DO YOU NOW BESIDES FACE AND/OR BODY PAINTING? "On the side" I'm a certified personal trainer, specializing in
 

Russian style strength training and joint mobility using kettlebells and body weight exercises.

WHAT PAINT BRANDS ARE YOUR FAVORITES? WHY? For the first years it was all Kryolan. But after my first convention I discovered Wolfe and switched over. I love the opacity and durability. For individual clients who come to me for a longer appointment, I still get out my entire arsenal: some Fantasy Worldwide, some Kryolan, Mehron metallic powders, and a lot of Mac makeup.

My "everyday kit" is 90% wolfe, with my favorite Kryolan copper, Cherry Bomb red from Paradise, Kryolan "youth red" blush,and a snazaroo magenta color that I really like.

My favorite thing is always changing. I'll get obsessed with a design element for awhile, and try to get it into as many designs as possible in as many ways as possible, then I'll find something else to be obsessed with. For awhile it was hammerhead sharks. After that; craggy mountains in the style of Bob Ross. Then it was painting everything in a monochromatic color scheme. My most favorite, though, is being challenged by the super-active imaginations of children.

I always strive to make each face different, and really fit the person. I've been called the "psychic face painter" by many different people who have said "surprise me". I've decided that being artistically fulfilled, and not compromising on quality is the thing that will keep me loving this art form - and keep me feeling young- for the rest of my life.