Jacqueline gives all of her attention to the children she paints. Morin Photo
RUSSELL – Summer means lots of rural fairs to enjoy, and every one of them that you go to will most likely have a face painting booth set up for children.
Weekend events just about everywhere include a face painter.
Jacky’s Face Painting has been bringing fun and creativity to the region’s residents for the past decade.
The face behind the face painting business belongs to Jacqueline ten Hartog who lives in Russell with her husband Michiel Seuren, and 13-year-old son Sean.
If you are a parent and have or will be enjoying the areas fairs or special events you will most likely at some point be chatting with her.
Jacqueline and her husband emigrated to Canada 15 years ago from the Netherlands.
In the years before the couple came to Canada Jacqueline had already begun her face-painting journey.
“In the Netherlands I was a member of a theatre group for 10 years,” she said.
“At one point they needed someone to do their make-up.”
Once involved in that aspect of the make-up process she was hooked.
“We needed to take a course in theatre make-up and I got interested in the part when we used face painting to turn someone into a character,” she said.
“I bought a water paint face painting kit, I really loved that part of it.”
When the sponsor of her theatre group held a family day, she was asked if she could try out her face painting skills as part of the fun activities at the event.
“My interest was born,” she remembered.
“After we immigrated to Canada a friend in Ottawa organized a pot luck dinner. Some of the guests at the potluck had planned to go to the Tulip Festival.
They were doing a fundraiser for children in Honduras. They needed something that would be interesting for families. I had mentioned that I did face painting as a hobby, so they asked me if [I] wanted to come.”
One thing led to another and before too long, Jacqueline was printing her own business cards.
“I made some business cards and passed them out while I was at the Tulip Festival.”
That was 14 years ago, and her business has blossomed and flourished.
“It was so much fun to do. I had a foldable table and my little kit,” she said.
Her approach to face painting, especially children, is different from most. She does not have the children she paints select a design from a catalogue of designs. Instead she likes to ask a child what they would like painted on their face and then use her experience and creativity to do the rest.
“I like children to choose their own colours and choose their own design.”
Her ability to create designs on the spot is the result of her enthusiasm for her craft, and her exhaustive research and practice.
“I have taken many workshops and take something from everybody and make it my own,” she said.
Her key to success is not only her experience and talent but she likes to work with the child in the chair in front of her, giving that child all her attention.
The more experience she gets, Jacqueline feels her skills are progressing.
“I am constantly taking different courses. I am learning how to really draw onto a face. I have never had drawing classes before but now I am learning all kinds of different techniques, and my skills are evolving.”
She is branching out to body painting.
“I am a member of the theatre group Russell Association of the Performing Arts, (RAPA), and help them with their make-up. I also work with the Greely Players as well. Last September I helped with make-up at Saunders Farm at Halloween of all of the actors.”
Her interest in the craft she finds herself in includes continued learning opportunities.
“There will be another body painting session going on in Montreal. There will be models and photographers. I will be going.”
To connect with Jacky’s Face Painting, you can call her at 613-421-6029 or go to her website at www.jackysfacepainting.ca and her email is jacky@jackysfacepainting.ca
If you would like to have a light shined on your business, please contact us at: editor@etceterapublications.ca or call us at 613-448-2321.
Joseph Morin is the Editor of the Eastern Ontario AgriNews, and the Record. He is, despite years of practice, determined to eventually play the guitar properly. He has served the Eastern Ontario community as a news editor, and journalist for the past 25 years with the Iroquois Chieftain, Kemptville Advance, West Carleton Review, and Ottawa Carleton Review in Manotick. He has never met a book he did not like.
