Sunset Face
Dragon with diamond for eye face
Spidey!
Hand Henna
Henna on hand
Beautiful Butterfly
Bird face
Princess
Tiger boy
The fanciest face painting this side of the Mississippi! Fancy Schmancy and QUICK face painting and natural henna. Art parties for adults (paint and sip ok) and the kiddos. Private art lessons and group lessons available for everyone and educational art classes for the kids also (art around the world, famous artists series, etc) I also do custom commissioned paintings and pet portraits, fabric painting and wall murals!
9 reviews
Preston M.
April 30, 2024Dawn did an amazing job with face painting at our corporate family day event. We were very pleased with her services.
Preston Medlock
Picnic Master, Inc.
Hired as: Face Painter
Sunshine Dreams Art Center
Thanks Preston! It was a pleasure meeting you and your awesome staff. Everyone was so nice and super professional!
Preston, I am leaving Gig Salad. If you need me my number is 941-758-ARTS
Nikki B.
April 14, 2024Sunshine was everything you could hope for in a face painter. She arrived early and had everything set up well, she uses good quality paints and glitter. She was professional and friendly. She's a welcome addition to any event. Will definitely hire again.
Hired as: Face Painter
Sunshine Dreams Art Center
Well, since she's saying nice stuff about me it's only fair to say that I am still absolutely beaming from the amazing people I met from this party. Nikki and her husband were unbelievably sweet the entire time and made me feel like one of their long time friends and frankly, if it's ok with Nikki and her hubby, I hope that's what we become. I absolutely love you guys and called a few friends to tell them about what a fun event it was. I was honored to bless you friends and to meet the two of you. Thanks so much Nikki! - luv Dawn aka Sunshine NIKKI, I am leaving Gig Salad. If you need me for another event you may reach me at 941-758-ARTS
Jim W.
February 6, 2024I've known Dawn and work with her for nearly a decade now her work is phenomenal. She is also extremely personable and works very well with the children she's fun and entertaining as well as being an impeccable artist highly recommend.
Hired as: Face Painter, Henna Tattoo Artist
Sunshine Dreams Art Center
And Jim is an AMAZING caracture artist!!!
Thanks Jim, I miss seeing you at events up North. I appreciate the kind words!
Tom C.
January 22, 2024Dawn arrived for a pre-Gasparilla children’s parade party on time and fully prepared. Dawn is very charming and upbeat. She was great with the kids and was able to coax the reluctant kids to have their face painted. Some of the face designs were so beautiful that it was a piece of art & kids loved it. Hire Dawn for your event! She is wonderful! Thank you Dawn for making the event special.
Hired as: Face Painter
Sunshine Dreams Art Center
Thank you Tom!!! I was DELIGHTED to come. It was so nice to meet you and honestly, I think the highlight of the entire day was connecting with that little shy guy. He sure came out of his shell. Thanks again, I would work with you and those kiddos any time! Hi Tom, I am changing my membership status with Gig Salad so I'm not sure if you'll be able to reach me again or not. Just in case, my phone number is 941-758-ARTS, thanks Jim!
Bea
January 4, 2024Dawn is very fun and makes anyone who gets any face painting feel special and always makes it an enjoyable experience
Hired as: Face Painter
Sunshine Dreams Art Center
Hey Bea, thanks so much! I enjoyed you guys too!
Price range: Contact for rates
Languages: English
Gig length: 90 - 120 minutes
Insurance: $3,000,000 - face painting and henna
I am a fun, upbeat person with a pretty big personality I'm told! I'm friendly, love to smile and really enjoy the kids. My goal is to serve you with excellent products and to make the kids' eyes twinkle with delight. The highlight of the day for me is seeing those big smiles when they look in the mirror.
I specialize in big, fancy face paintings. While I can do smaller designs, the elaborate ones are my award winners and what have gotten me attention at festivals throughout various states. Most kids want the fancy ones anyway — so I just let them lead!
What you may notice is my ability to connect quickly with children. I'm so comfortable with them that I can zip through kids in anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes. I'm also sensitive to shy or fearful children — sometimes I just talk with them, listen a little, and in extreme cases gently encourage them to watch the other kids and come back when they're ready. These events are all about the kids and I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable.
In addition to face painting and henna, I now offer a Glitter Bar is great for tweens coming of age parties, teen sleep overs and for SURE evening and adult events, Glitter Tattoos that last a few days and are perfect for pool parties, and a Slime Bar where kids make their own custom slime to take home!
My prices are reasonable, I can bring my own chairs and table if needed, and my setup is quick and easy.
Hi, my name is Dawn and the kids call me Sunshine! I've been working with kids all of my life and started my face painting career in 2002. I had SO MUCH FUN that I wound up traveling throughout parts of the country with my little dog Cupcake, doing face painting and henna tattoos for a LIVING for over a decade!
Rather than following trends from face painting classes, I draw from my fine art and makeup artistry backgrounds to create truly unique designs — just like your kids! I customize every design to enhance skin tones, bring out eye color and match each child's personality. I also adapt shapes and designs to flatter their face shape, so everyone gets something unique and gorgeous. And I do NOT spare the sparkles and diamonds when it comes to little girls!
I use only the safest face paint — never acrylic paint, which is made for surfaces like wood. My artwork comes off easily with a few makeup or baby wipes. My henna tattoos are made from scratch using henna powder, lemon juice, lavender essential oil and sugar. I will NEVER use black henna — it's hair dye, not real henna, and it's not safe.
In addition to face painting and henna, I offer a Glitter Bar — sparkly gems, glitter and body art applied to faces, arms and collarbones — perfect for birthdays. For summers in Florida and the pool parties, I offer waterproof glitter tattoos that last a few days! Kids also love my Slime Bar, where they make their own custom slime with colors, scents and glitter to take home as a keepsake!
I can also host art parties for kids or adults — painting, drawing, basic jewelry making, even paint and sip style events. These can be added onto face painting and henna or stand alone. For home schoolers, women's groups, church groups and private lessons, I offer art classes as well.
You may have also seen my work beyond the booth — I'm a published author of Festival Face Painting: Your Guide to Earning Big and Thriving, I offer an online masterclass course for aspiring festival face painters, and I write regular blogs for (link hidden) sharing tips from my years on the circuit.
Thanks for taking a peek at my profile! Feel free to reach out with any questions and check out my Facebook page too!
Good lighting is important and ideally should be just above our heads so my head won't block it when working on a child. Natural daylight or a well-lit room works perfectly.
Having done this for such a long time, a few things will help make me an asset to your event. Being away from loud speakers or major distractions is really helpful. I also find that the less "help" getting kids to sit still, the better! I like them to wiggle if they need to, and when it's time to be still for a moment, I'll let them know. Too many instructions from well-meaning folks can overwhelm kids. My goal is for everyone — kids and adults alike — to relax and have fun.
For the Slime Bar, a table with easy access for kids to stand around works best, and a surface that's easy to wipe down is helpful since slime can be a little messy — though cleanup is quick!
For Glitter Tattoos, good lighting and a flat steady surface for the child to rest their arm or sit still briefly is all that's needed.
My profile states most events run 1.5-2 hours, which is typical, but I'm available for up to 7 hours in most cases.
I have done face painting and henna for a living for over 11 years almost every weekend for 10 months out of the year which equals approximately 43 shows a year or 473 shows before covid. I have done others after but they have not been as frequent because I care for my father and can't travel like I used to.
99% of my events had over 10,000 attendees. I estimate I have painted 180 faces or henna per weekend which in those 11 years only equals 85,140 children and equals between henna and face painting an average of 2 - 4 minutes per child.
My travels include North and South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, West Virginia, and even Colorado.
I have won numerous awards at a juried event called the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival in Kittanning PA. I have done the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival, the 4th of July celebration in Ellwood City, PA, and the Shrimp Festival in Amelia Island, Florida. Numerous Seafood festivals in Bradenton, Cedar Key, Homosassa, etc. in Florida, Art Festivals throughout the country, the Walleye Festival in Fort Clinton Ohio, and many more.
Of course, I have done children's parties and have had news articles written on my parties, my art classes, my art work, and more. This information is on my Facebook group under "guides".
a square or rectangle table please, at least 3 foot long is perfect and access to water (or a bucket if I'm inside). A few folding chairs would be great but I can bring some if it's easier for you.
If we are outside, please have us in the shade if it's a warm day and if you do not have a fan (on a day over 83 degrees), I would love access to electricity so that I can plug one in.
Face Painter