Pub gig, and no cost to me!

After the charity gig I did, we all went out to the pub that had donated the kids' buffet for the event. They gave us free shots and wine, and were generally fab - it's a very popular, large, community pub, well known for its food and drink. At the end, we all went home and I thought no more of it.

The pub just asked me to paint at a 6-hour event they're having at the end of the month, a celebratory event for hospital staff. No set-up fee, the landlord is providing transport there and back for me....and I get to keep every penny I make on PPF.

The only cost I'll have is the paint! If not one person gets painted, I've lost nothing except an evening.....in a pub, with a book. Which sounds like heaven to me.

And it's all adults. No wriggly children!

I'm a bit aghast....but strangely enough, said yes.

Kammy!
That is really exciting! Who knows where all of this will lead Next thing you will have a booming business and have to be turning business away (or you'll need an assistant and I'll just pop on over to help now and then )
Looking forward to hearing how it goes...get lots of pictures if you can!

awesome! How wonderful!! So excited for you! I am SURE you will have faces to paint! have FUN!

Thank you so much for your support, Valerie and Amy! I'm so thrilled that they just wanted me - nobody else - to paint at the event, because there are so many great face painting artists in the area. It'll be a lovely evening, I'm sure, even if I don't have many faces to paint. If I do, of course...even better.

And Valerie - you as an assistant? Nahhhh. I'm pretty sure you'd be the boss.

Kammy x

That's awesome Kammy! Congrats to you!!

Congrats Kammy. I have painted in pubs for holidays and such and it was alot of fun. Adults love it once they get started. I did lots of UV which was awsome on the dance floor.

Kammy - this is fantastic! Congratulations! When you do it, you could paint an eye design on yourself, and when you get there, put a few different and sparkling designs (grown-up girls love glitter and sparkle gels too!) on some of the event people. And have some photos of eye art examples on adults to display on a board. You'll be going and going, once you get started.

Have fun and good luck making lots! (And business cards! Hand 'em out left and right. Have examples of your kid designs there too, because adults are the ones who book kids' parties!)

You're gonna rock this!

Thanks everyone! JJJJJ - that's exactly what I was planning to do. Paint an eye design on myself, paint a couple of the staff, etc. Nice to know I was on the right track.

One thing, though. I'm going to need designs for grown-up boys that don't go over the mouth and therefore inhibit the drinking of beer. It is a pub, after all! Any ideas?

Superhero and monster-skull-zombie 'masks'?

That's a good idea! Thank you. I reckon the women are likely to want small eye designs, the sort of thing that looks pretty with "normal" make-up, but the guys might go for something a bit more silly. Especially once they've been drinking, right?

The men also like the Tribal Mike Tyson sort of thing.

Congrats!!
Eye designs are very popular, I think Heather Banks has a tutorial on glam eye designs.

I hate the idea of copying ANYTHING about Mike Tyson and thankfully get the idea he's less popular over here anyway, but I can probably practice a few tribal designs.

Just read about the gig and it's fancy dress, so there should be lots of scope for fun face designs and a few ghoulish options. I'll just have to design them not to cover the bottom lip and chin, so that people can still drink without smudging their faces...

Kammy--wondering how it went!!

Congratulations! I've painted in pubs/clubs and I have to say I didn't find the adults less wriggly etc! Most were drunk for a start so apart from the 'wriggling' at times it can be just down-right unpleasant. All-in all worth it and fun of course, but since you mentioned that there won't be wriggly children, a lot can act like them once full of booze!

Anxiously awaiting your return from Fife so we can hear how it went Friday night!

Thanks so much to Valerie for PMing me and reminding me I hadn't updated here. I'm such a ditz when the condition I have is flaring up, which unfortunately it is after my weekend, but it was worth it.

So, the pub gig:

In short - I made hardly any money because it was an unexpectedly quiet night....BUT....I was in the black, made enough for a couple of new paints, got all my food and drink (OMG, copious drink by the end, the boss kept sending me shots over! Good job I can handle alcohol well!) provided, transport both ways, excellent references and a few good photos. Oh, and three people asked to pass out business cards to their work colleagues on my behalf.

So, financially....not so great, but not terrible. Fun- and exposure-wise, YAYYYY! I had a HUGE giggle all night, was treated with respect and great hospitality, and even if I hadn't got the bit of publicity and other stuff, I had a good night out that was 100% at the venue's expense. The poor landlord was mortified - he thinks the advertising didn't get out, as he usually gets a much higher attendance at his events. He did say that in future, I'm his go-to girl for face painting. Here's the comment he wrote on my feedback form:

" "Wow" -> Great job done - but more importantly what a fabulous lady. Always kind and great with people - I would happily recommend her to anyone. All the guests enjoyed the experience and the artistic work.

Fab night. Thank you."

So I reckon he was pleased. And he made a great Dracula.

Kammy xx

clowngirl wrote:Congratulations! I've painted in pubs/clubs and I have to say I didn't find the adults less wriggly etc! Most were drunk for a start so apart from the 'wriggling' at times it can be just down-right unpleasant. All-in all worth it and fun of course, but since you mentioned that there won't be wriggly children, a lot can act like them once full of booze!

There was one pretty drunken guy who wanted to be painted as a devil. I did the best job I could, but he kept wrinkling up his forehead and it's freakin' impossible to put down a decent base (never mind line work) in deep wrinkles when someone's doing that! He liked it...but washed it off a while later because his friends were making fun. Men.

Fantastic! Go Kammy.

Weren't you saying, like, a fortnight ago that you just wanted to paint your son? LOLZ. You're hooked now.

PaintedFaces wrote:Fantastic! Go Kammy.

Weren't you saying, like, a fortnight ago that you just wanted to paint your son? LOLZ. You're hooked now.

Umm...yeah. I've been asked to paint at a birthday party in January, and I'm getting a few other enquiries in now. Not sure how that all happened!!

Oh, and the Cacklefest in Fife was a HOOT. My friend's cottage is in the middle of nowhere, up a hill with its own dirt road. We could make as much noise as we wanted without disturbing anyone but the animals. Consequently, we laughed, sang karaoke (you haven't lived until you've watched a six-foot Bride of Frankenstein sing Nancy Sinatra, I tell you), laughed until we cried and ate yummy food until the small hours. I painted a few faces (my contribution to the party) and everyone was thrilled. Unfortunately, I attracted a crowd of observers and I don't actually like being the centre of attention, so I got nervous and had to ask them to back off.

My current avatar on here is the way I was dressed/painted for the party. The friend who was driving us over the river was late, so I had to rush it, painting myself when I arrived - I'm not that happy with it as it was meant to be much more elaborate, but I didn't have time. There were lots of glamorous witches in attendance, so I painted lots of swirls and one black widow spider crown!

Altogether a great weekend....but my hands aren't working properly now so I've had to up my meds! It'll pass. :-D

Thats Great Kammy
A review like that is pretty good payment even if you didn't make a ton of money.
As for the drinking....
With airbrush tattoos i have been doing beer fest almost every year. What a hoot. They run around with tiny little glasses and sampling as many different kinds of beer as they an get into them. needless to say.. hammered. I usually don't start getting busy til half way through, then the fun starts. I LOVE painting drunk ppl, they tend to spend more money and they are funny

Glad you had fun