Wynyard Hall Gardens

Incredible Edibles Event, 11th September 2016

Hazel and I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the opening of the new gardens at Wynyard Hall. The headline act was CBBC’s “Mr Bloom” but there were lots of other entertainers too including a fabulous strolling jazz band, stilt walkers, living plant characters, a balloon modeller, face painting and children’s crafts. I performed my Pirate Show and later a Magic Show before Mr Bloom came on later in the afternoon.

wynyard-hall-11

Hazel set up her face painting table next to the main stage and was working constantly from start to finish. In fact we were the first of the entertainers to arrive and the last to leave!

It was a brilliant event with lots of people turning up to see Mr Bloom. I had two fabulous audiences for my show and I saw lots of happy children with faces painted holding balloons and various things they had made at the craft tables.

The weather was perfect. A nice sunny day which was the icing on the cake.

A super event!

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Punch and Judy Man, County Durham

Punch and Judy in County Durham

Punch and Judy Show

Punch and Judy, Wittingham Show

Living practically on the borders of County Durham and North Yorkshire leaves me with a foot in both camps. Am I a County Durham Punch and Judy Man or a Yorkshire Punch and Judy Man? Well. what’s in a name? I have probably performed as many shows in Durham as I have in Yorkshire so although my postal address puts me firmly in the latter for practical purposes I might easily be in the former.

For a good many years my home has been the lovely own of Richmond but before settling here to raise a family I lived close to Chester Le Street and the city of Durham will always be one of my favorite places.

One of the great pleasures of being a Punch and Judy Man is that it brings you into contact with the general public. For me it is wonderful to bring pleasure to people through my show. The children in the audience express their excitement and enjoyment with smiles and laughter but it is also great to chat with the adults afterwards. You would be surprised at how many folk come over to say how much they have enjoyed watching or how it reminded them of their own childhood.

I am very lucky that for quite a few years now I have been  invited to perform at events taking place at Beamish Museum. If you haven’t been here it is a fantastic place and well worth going. Lots of local people from County Durham have annual membership and so I get to see some of them on a regular basis, which is nice as Durham people are a warm and friendly lot.

If you are looking to hire a Punch and Judy Show for an event in County Durham please give me a call. I live only thirty five minutes away from Durham city. If you are attending an event in County Durham over the summer and you see a Punch and Judy Show then it could well be me.

Hire a Punch and Judy Show

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Face Painting Tips 9

Applying glitter

Applying glitter to a design can add that perfect finishing touch when applied in a careful way. Avoid covering the face in thick glitter dust – less is more. When using tip crème, dab the glitter onto points of the face which catch the light: the cheekbones, the top of the forehead, the nose, the chin and just above the brows. This way, you can avoid the delicate eye area, whilst catching the light with a subtle hint of sparkle. Mix and match your colours. Gold glitter on top of gold paint does look pretty but don’t be afraid to make a statement. Green glitter on top of Kryolan gold looks stunning, and adding blue glitter on top of black line work on those key areas brings out the black beautifully.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 8

Don’t draw

When face painting, it is so easy to try and ‘draw’ things. But when there’s a massive queue you simply don’t have time. Learn to see face painting as applying make-up. Practise techniques such as loading the brush then simply pressing the brush onto the skin to create flower petals and when drawing lines try and achieve the line in one go, rather than tickling along the face using about ten strokes.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 7

Paint selection

A brilliant brand of paint which I can’t get enough of is Wolfe. The Wolfe white and black are fantastic on top of any base and are always true and bold. They flow well, however, you need practise getting the consistency right, as it’s easy to add too much water, in which case it runs. The UV range is brilliantly luminous to add to a butterfly, for example, either as the compliment colour or as a statement lipstick for that ‘wow’ factor.

Try different brands of paint to find the best one for you. Better still use a selection of quality paints for different applications.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 6

The base

Taster tips from Hazel’s Face Painting Course

The most important aspect of a face painting is the base. If this is not right, whatever you put on top of that base will look worse. Make sure colours are nicely blended, that you use colours which compliment each other and that a white base isn’t too wet or dry or patchy.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 5

Holding your subject’s attention

Taster tips from Hazel’s Face Painting Course

Whilst painting, talk to the children. Talk to them about what they’ve been doing that day, or if they are having a dog painted, for example, ask if they have any pets or tell them about your dog at home. This will put the child at ease and listening to you could distract them from wriggling around! Don’t ask questions when you are about to paint a delicate line, though! Tell younger children constantly how well they are doing and how nicely they are sitting still (even if they
are not, this could work as reverse psychology, and they may enjoy the praise and start staying still!).

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 4

Keeping your subject still

Taster tips from Hazel’s Face Painting Course

When painting, place your free hand on top of the child’s head. This will steady them, particularly if they are young and wriggly! Some painters like to hold the chin, but holding the head enables you to swivel their head to whichever position you want for easier painting. Tell smaller children to sit up (some have a tendency to lean further and further back away from you!) and ask them to put their hands on their knees. This relaxes the shoulders and helps them to sit up straight.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 3

Choosing a face

Taster tips from Hazel’s Face Painting Course

When a child sits down in front of you, it is so easy to ask the child what they would like to be. But be warned, children have vivid imaginations and if they come out with something that you know you can’t do, or that simply wouldn’t work as a face painting, it may show you up. Instead, roll off a quick list of what you can do and tell the child to choose which design they like the sound of. If they can’t decide, ask what their favourite colour is and suggest that you paint them a surprise.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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Face Painting Tips 2

Water bowl system

Taster tips from Hazel’s Face Painting Course

Having a three water bowl system for rinsing your brushes after every use keeps your water cleaner for longer. Get the thick off by swishing the brush in the first smaller bowl, then rinse in the second bowl, and finally the largest bowl. Chrome pet water bowls make ideal water dishes, as the chrome looks professional and is easy to clean. We just stick ours in the dish washer.

Face Painting Course

Face Painting Course

Training

Learn how to become a professional face painter.  Expert tuition by Hazel Wood. Find out more:

Face Paining Courses by Hazel

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