Meet Kate from Sunrise Face Painting

Kate Karpynska from Sunrise Painting is easily one for the best local face painters around!  Her talent has been showcased at many of the area's popular festivals, fundraisers, parties, and more.  We had the pleasure of interviewing the talented Kate and finding out how she got started in the business. 

1) What inspired you to start Sunrise Face Painting?

 My older son Richard is the reason I started face painting. We went to Orlando several years ago, and in one of the amusement parks my son got his face painted by a professional. I've never seen face painting like that, it looked amazing, he didn't want to wash it off. I promised him that I would research  what kind of paints should be used for face painting and would do it for him. I was lucky to find Snazaroo palette in ACMoore and that's how I started.  I was looking for some images on Google and watched Youtube videos. My son's next birthday party I did at home, we were doing all kinds of fun science experiments, and kids got face painting designs of their choices. I soon realized that I need better brushes, better paints, I started to invest more money into my hobby. I was practicing all the time during my little one's nap or at night painting on a wax paper or beauty salon head. 

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2. Have you always been an artist?

I have a master's degree in Art History, Theory, and Criticism, but I've never painted myself, except for when I was a kid.  I love art though. I started painting on glass and ceramic after I started painting faces. I feel that after I had my kids, my creativity suddenly flourished and I founded a perfect outlet. I love my job!

3. Tell us about the types of materials you use.

Today we have a lot  of professional face painting products on the market. I don't stick to one brand, in my kit I have FAB, TAG, Wolfe FX, DFX, Paradise, Snazaroo. These are water activated FDA compliant  face and body paints. You can find basic face paint  in craft stores but to get professional results you'll need to invest into your supplies.  Parents beware of free face painting when you see little containers that look like acrylic or craft paints! These are not intended for use on a skin and can cause major problems. Never use or let anyone use craft glitter (even the fine cut) on your kids faces. I use only cosmetic glitter for face painting.

4. Has anyone ever requested a crazy design?

So far I didn't have any really crazy requests, but I have a  funny story to tell.  I painted a little boy as a Ninja Turtle, showed him in the mirror and he was really happy with his design. Another boy from the line told me that I forgot to paint a shell on his back!

5. Since we are Kid Trips Northern Virginia, we must ask you your favorite place to go in Northern VA with your own family.

I really love going to the Burke Lake park and Fairfax Corner with my husband and two sons. 
I have to say that although I've been living in this area for 12 years, I found a lot of new fun places to visit in your book Kid Trips!


FInd out more about Sunrise Face Painting at www.sunrisefacepainting.com