Seeking advice about another fp in my area...

Hi everyone,
I'm a new poster but i've been reading the forum for a few weeks now. I've been painting on and off for years, but i've recently decided to get back into it and start my own little business Anyway, business is going good and i'm getting a lot of requests for work etc. I am slowly building my own little gallery by painting kids for free at mothers groups in exchange for putting their photo's in my portfolio. Or I just paint myself.

Anyway, there is another face painter in my area who I personally think is completely unethical. I guess i just want some advice in how to deal with this person. So top of my list is:

1) her gallery is a mix of her own work (which i think could do with some improvement, but i'm not here to insult her work), and pictures taken off google images. She currently has work done by Mark Reid (!) and others up on her facebook site and claiming it as her own. This just drives me banana's . I don't understand the thought process behind taking someone else's pictures and claiming them as your own work. People are commenting on how great the faces look and she isn't pointing out that they were done by someone else. I just think it's blatant false advertising. People are going to book her to paint these faces and then she's not going to be able to do it, and the client will rightly be very unhappy and probably never book a face painter again. I.e, it's going to give the rest of us a bad name.

2) Her fees are set really low for our area. Like $50 for 2 hours. Her marketing strategy is to try and undercut and rest of us, but i just think that this will exacerbate point #1. Also, i'm not sure how she could legitimately run a business for that amount of money when you factor in taxes, insurance, cost of materials, transport etc.

3) She keeps trying to contact me for a partnership and paint under her business name. HA! Because 'i'm just starting out and she wants to help me'. So far i have firmly refused and been polite with her. I really want no association with her whatsoever.

So anyway, I guess has anyone been in this particular situation before? Should i just butt out and mind my own business? It just bugs me that she runs her business like this. Even in the short time that I have been back painting, I have had clients complain to me unprovoked about her business etiquette - e.g 'oh i booked x for my son's bday party last year and she just never showed up and couldn't be contacted'. I just think people like her give the rest of us a bad name, and clients sometimes ask about the price comparison between her and me. I can't exactly tell them my opinion of her without coming off sounding unprofessional can I? Plus it might get back to her and i might have to deal with the fall out of that. (e.g her bad mouthing me if she isn't already doing it).

*sigh* I apologise for my first post being so negative, but i guess i just needed to vent

On the plus side, i'm fully booked for the next two months and really excited about it

Thanks

A simple you get what you pay for..haha

I am sorry that one of your locals isn't holding up to standards. We have had people post pages on here before that has work that doesn't belong to them, then the owners send cease and decist. It would have to have some work from multiple artist known well in our community.

I say take the high road. Post on your sight that all of your work is yours, done by you, and an accurate example of what your customers money gets them. You have plenty of business so her undercutting must not be working. Some people will be happy with what she gives them for 50. The difference of buying name brand or generic shoes.

First... what is her website so that we can check the photos and alert the owners to their illegal use.

You have no control over her undercutting... unfortunately.

And you are under NO obligation whatsoever to work with/for or beside her. No excuses to her are required - if you say no, that's all you have to say.

If client's comment on her business practise or rates, avoid saying anyting about her, just explain what your rates and guarantees are.

Yes, list the site here. You can look in our members list to see if the artist in on here.

I also have issues with this, mostly she copies my designs and style, and people think it was me!

I try to put it outa my mind, and worry about me and what's on my books. I can only control myself and the way I choose to react. Sound like you are doing great! Keep it up, and good luck to you!

I agree with Shannon. Never say anything negative about a fellow face painter. It always looks bad on you. It's good that you have been polite to her. I had a very similar situation when a new clown started her business in my area by hiring high schools kids for really low rates. It was hard to compete but I let my work stand on its own. Most people understand value and getting what they pay for. Stay focused on being the best you can be and market yourself like crazy. I also understand not wanting to get confused with her. Find something to wear or do that sets you far apart from her. I did a fair once where there were 2 of us painting faces. I was horrified when I saw some of the acrylic work the other woman was doing. I took out my balloons and made little hats for each child so they stood out as mine. Good luck!

oh it's telling me i can't post an external link for several days becaue i'm a new member. perhaps i'll PM you guys?

PM me and I'll post the alleged offender's site if you wish.

Or just mention her facebook name so we can hunt it out....


I think people will definitely cotton on to the face she can't do all that she promises, just contine you be bigger better and brighter and people will easily spot the difference.

https://www.facebook.com/happycheeks is what I was told. I am not her friend so I can't see the photos and I have no knowledge of what she has posted.

She has some info available if you aren't a friend... does she have a website? I can't find one for her... there is one in the UK called Happy Cheeks but she is in Oz.

I do recognize Roberta Mandella's photo on the collage that I can see. I'm not familiar with the contact information but I think it's Oz.

Okay... I was able to tag two of the photos - one was painted by Tammy Beeks of the UK and one was Mark Reids so I tagged them "Painted by Tammy Beeks" etc. there was another one that I think was Rebecca Arty Brushes but I wasn't 100% sure.

Michelle Heffner's princess crown is in one of the collages. Can someone tag her? I'm not friends with "Happy Cheeks"

Just messaged Heff.

there is certainly a diverse range of face painting. she obviously has plenty of her own pics so y use the pro's? just makes her stuff look bad imo! i would NOT put up a mark Ried next to my stuff heaven forbid i would have to reproduce it!

Yep its Australia-far North Queensland.

It irks me that people would use adverise other peoples work as their own. Shame on them, shame, shame, shame!!
I would definately not say a bad word about her but I wouldn't say anything good either.
Just let the clients know that you have great hygiene practices, you are insured, you use the best quality face paints etc etc.
I would love to hear more on if this lady gets busted for having other people's pics up, she could be in big trouble!!
I do know someone that had her whole booklet done up with other face painters pics. She is slowly working her way through the booklet and replacing them once she has done her own version. But I still think it is false representation.
Keep us posted

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I checked her fb page earlier and it was down, but now it is back up again and it still has the pics. ? Who knows what that was about. Anyway, i've raised the issue and now i'm done with it. On another note...I got asked today whether i wanted to work for free (in exchange for professional pics of the day) for a charity family fun day event held at a local pool. I'm busy that day but perhaps i should direct the organiser to this facepainter. Free facepainting in this town means getting absolutely mobbed, and she could use the practice to master her Mark Reid design

Her kit doesn´t look very professional neither. What kind of paints is she using?

It looks like Derivan face paint. I started out using that stuff. It's very difficult to paint with, and it's better to just chuck it in the bin and go buy TAG etc

I think i've been blocked from her fb page or it has been taken down again. She had 'friended' me previously on my personal fb page and now it is gone from my list.

The info and wall pages are still visible to me as an outsider, if you were blocked i only hope it doesn't make things difficult for you in future!

yeah, looks like i've been blocked. I jumped on my hubs page and her pics are now private to friends only and she has a message saying that other facepainters/ persons are being malicious towards her. I'm guessing she got some strongly worded emails from people asking to take their pics down, because i have not said a word to her.

Her 'wall photos' album is public if you click on one from her wall. She added a comment an hour ago that some of the images are not painted by her she found them with google images.