What gigs are you doing?

[twink-elle]

I've got a bit coming up
May 29th -Birthday party
May 30th -Birthday party
June 12th - Art Market- per hour rate
June 19th- small town street fair - per hour rate
June 25th- Dental Clinic customer appreciation - per hour rate
a couple festivals in July and August and 9 story telling gigs at libraries across the province in July and August

[reginanewsum]

way to go Twink-elle, sounds like you are really busy now!  Do you do story telling along with your library gigs?   I think that is so cool at the libraries

[twink-elle]

I started as a children's entertainer more than a dozen years ago doing storytelling, songs and a little simple comedy magic, did a lot of events and eventually did a little face painting and balloon twisting on the side as an add-on to that. It has only been the last couple of  years that people have hired me to just paint faces. The library gigs are just the storytelling and songs.
I'm so glad to have found online support and community since I'm in the middle of nowhere living in a town of 1200, with a city of 28,000 about 1/2 hour to the west and a city of 35,000 45 minutes to the east.  I have to buy all my paint on-line and feel pretty isolated and have some gigs where the mileage charges are almost as much as my fees.

[reginanewsum]

tomorrow starts the second weekend of the ren faire ,  painting sat thru monday, three days, 24 hours of painting! hmmmm I must go to bed now and get some sleep!  I made a new ren out fit yesterday!

[MsMollie]

so take a pic and post it...we want to see something besides the top of your head...

[sealmom]

I've really enjoyed reading  about what so many of you are doing this summer.  This is our first year in business and for the most part we have been doing Farmer's Markets, Play Station (an indoor play ground), Applebee's every Wednesday (kid's day), Cancer related events (donate time and materials since this is cause close to my heart), many birthday parties, Usher's Ferry (a local historic village that has a number of special events all summer long), elementary schools with special events (butterfly release day for 2nd graders, school spirit day - school mascot on faces...etc).  And we are getting in to festival season now.  We had the weirdest thing pop up this week!  I was REALLY interested with your various experiences with Renaissance Fairs.  This past Monday a sponsor of a number of Ren. Fairs here in the middle west called in a panic.  His usual face painter had taken ill and he needed a face painter BIG TIME!  Well... I'm your girl! )  Then the little item of... you have to be in costume came up. YIPE!!!!  My daughter who paints with me found a darling costume at a local second hand store and I let my fingers do the walking online. )  Clattering together appropriate designs for a Ren. Fair was the next challenge.  We came up with a "Flower Princess", "Heart Princess", "Rainbow Princess", and the ever popular Butterfly for the girls.  For the boys we did a "knight", "a dragon", " a fire breathing dragon", and a "pirate".  We also offered assorted "eye" art.  This fair started yesterday and goes through tomorrow.  So far the feed back we have been getting for customers and other vendors at the Ren. Fair is that our work is exceptional.  Since we are such novices that is really encouraging.  I'd love to know your various price points to see how we are doing.  We are charging $7 for a full face design and $4 for the eye art.  Oh... by the way... since we are bailing out the fair sponsor we were forgiven the entry fee and are only paying 15% of our gross.  How does that stack up with what you are paying.  Well... I've gone on long enough... this is beginning to look like "Gone With The Wind". HA!  Lori (sealmom)

[reginanewsum]

Second day of Ren Faire painting.  I got some amazing pictures.  One more day tomorrow, and the next Ren Faire starts in two weeks.  I was very busy today.  I pay 10% of total sales, not to exceed vendor prices. I msade an outfir for both weekend!  I dress as a gypsy.  You are very vert low on your prices! this is my price list, don't bother planning and practicing ren faire designs, they tend to pick your favorites any ways!

this has been the order of face painting that has been wanted,

girls:

princess design -

boys:

monster masks,

eye art ------ $10
half face ------$15
full face ( constitutes at least 3/4th of the face painted)  ------$18
upper arm, forearm, shoulder, back, chest, lower leg, upper leg - prices quated by the design choice.

and display your tip jar also!  People will tip.  and tip well!

once I get this Ren Faire out of the way, I will set down and post pictures!  Already I have my little mind going about the next Faire!

[MsMollie]

Regina,
I'm sure that this isn't the prices you charge all the time is it? Don't get me wrong, you are worth it..but you probably change up according to events right?...there's no way i could charge that much..however, i haven't done a big fair like that either...and there's no way people would pay that much in podunkvill where i live....i sure wish i could...

[reginanewsum]

no those are not my prices for reagular ppf events. I researched ren faires, and contacted 8 painters that have done them for a long time and they sent me their prices.  I was still way under their prices. At Holly Ren Faire in Flint Michigan, the average face painter gets $15 for eye art, $22 for half face, and $30 for full face, now thats some high prices!  Clients at the Ren Faire told me that I was really low on my prices!  My regular prices at a ppf event is as follows,  $6 eye art, $8 half face, $10 full face and I have no problem with customers paying those prices.

[sealmom]

Hey Gina,
I can't wait to see your photos from your Ren. Faire!  Do you have someone other than yourself taking photos?  My daughter and I were so busy we didn't have time to take any photos and I really would have loved some.  And about your prices... good for you if you can get it.    The Ren. Fair we did was a relatively small one and we took an informal poll of the other vendors that had been there last year and they said our pricing was right on for this market.  I sure wish we could have charged more, but you kind of have to go with what the market will bare.  Oh well.  Since this is our first year... we were quite pleased with our client satisfaction and the exposure we received to our market place.  I have already booked a birthday party for next week and handed out over 100 business cards to people in our trade area.  So all total we were very pleased. 

[reginanewsum]

I have a two gigs on friday, partner painting with Anna in Kalamazoo!  3 to 5 at the WMCA, 6 to 8 at the museum, only a block apart! Whew!  Her and I have so much fun painting together, we both are pretty right on with our painting and our speed. Ren Faire pics, look under my back drop, I posted pictures last night. As far as the prices, I think now that I have done a pretty good sized Ren Faire, I think I am ok with the prices. I did talk to the parents and customers about other Ren Faires,  the ones that have gone for years and follow the Ren Faires. 99% told me that I was under prices of others, and my quality of work was the best they had ever seen.  I had one family come everyday I was there, painted all five of their children five times! And got a health tip each day, also I will be doing their family reunion in August , they hired me for 5 hours, but because I enjoyed them so much I offered them a better deal, pay for four hours and I will paint for five, only if I can have an ice cold drink! HAHAHAHA they told me that I WILL eat dinner with them and they want me to bring my family also!  I told them that we would see!  I also had an other family come every day, a grandma and grandpa. They have 8 grandchildren, each day they would bring two children to get painted, full face and give me a fifty dollar bill!  I would go to get their change and they would tell me that the rest was mine!  I can't tell you how many $5 and $10 tips I got. He is a professional photographer he took approx 20 pics each day of me painting there grand kids and my booth, on the fifth day they came alone no kidsI get to spend more quality time on each person, amaze then in a design and really put some great detail into the painting and make a child smile. I also painted for my lunch , dinner, and cold drinks any time I wanted them! how? they had two boys ages 8 and 10 that the dad came and  struck a deal with me! so I didn't have to pack a lunch bag! yee haa!

[reginanewsum]

The museum painting job went really well last nite!  Anna and I had lines out the door!  Super fast painting. Tody I have a birthday party at 10 am!  Wow happy birthday party early in the morning!  Oh I must go get some coffee to wake up before I go greet the little tikes.  Then I will paint at the race track tonight at 6pm. 

[reginanewsum]

The early morning birthday party went soooo well!  The litle gal turned three, and wanted nothing to do with any type of face painting, on her face or on her arm!  But her other 14 little guests enjoyed it!  Also the 12 adults that I painted!  This party was the ultimate of birthday parties!  The parents spared no expense.  It was a carnilval theme with all the works, cotton candy booth, over 12 games to play all made into carnival booths, prizes galore. Cotton candy, carmel corn, corn dogs, carmel apples, stuffed anmals any thing and every thing that you would see at a carnival.  The guests were even handed play money when they came into the dorr, and they bought tickets with their play money. And yes each child was given a goody bag to take home!  I looked into one bag, I would say there was over $100 worth of stuff in each bag! I was only to paint the little children, but when the adults started setting in my chair, I didn't have the heart to say no!  I was hired for two hours, and I painted for over three!  The mom came to me and whispered in my ear,  "I wante to thank you for painting all of the adult guests when you didn't have to, so here's alittle some thing for your time"  I said thank you and put it into my drawer of my tool chest, only to find out when I got out to my car, and I just HAD to look!  It was a $10 bill!  WHAT! over one hour of extra painting and a $10 bill!   I guess I am going to start wearing a watch!  And learn how to stop being so dang nice!  Rain storms came at 5pm so the races were canciled!  I guess I needed a break!

[MsMollie]

wow, aren't parents just crazy these days with the type of parties they throw for the kids? Man, if I had something like that when I was a kid!...And as for your being way too kind...actually Gina, I think it's a blessing to all in this world to see a person that kind....it's just a shame that others take advantage...i would have thought she would have given you at least an extra $50.00....however, it was a blessing for them to see you work and I am sure in the long run that it will get you more bookings...you can't help how nice you are...God made you that way!

[reginanewsum]

Ok this weeks scheduale,  Thurday, birthdya party for 22 children ages 6 to 16! at a park.  And do not laugh! I just got a call from a festival organizer!  In pottersville (40 miles from my home) they are having, are you ready for this!  A chicken gizzard festival!  Now that has to beat all fesivals!  CHICKEN GIZZARD FESTIVAL! you can check it out at www.gizzardfestival.com  And we thought the sourkraut fest and the buzzard fest was funny!  Funny thing is I LOVE chicken gizzards!  But I have never drawn one!  Don't really think there will be a big demand for a chicken gizzard on the cheek! hahahahaha This is a three day fest.  I was reading on the site tonight that the one vendor that sells deep fried gizzard, orders 45,000
gizzards friom tyson chicken company each year for this fest!  Now thats alote of gizzards! I hope they save a dozen or so for me! hahahahaha  maybe I better practice up on my chicken paintings! This chicken better hide! there gonna want his gizzard!