Back off, Butterfly Boy

Today I was helping out at a family fun event thing, and for the first time, I did face painting.

Normally, I'm not allowed anywhere near face painting (unless it's to get my own face painted), but today I decided to paint Ali's face, kiiiind of against his will.

He sat down, and I decided to paint him as Spiderman. I'd nearly finished covering his whole face with red paint, when he said, 'Oh, erm....yeah.... I once had an allergic reaction to face paint'. He said his whole face swelled up and went red and blotchy. We decided that it was a long time ago, and people tend to grow out of these 'petty' allergies. =)

It took me a while to get the web all painted on. Ruth had to step in to help at the last minute - symmetry is not one of my strong points.

When we'd finished, a little boy came up and asked if I'd do him as spiderman too. I felt obliged to do it, because all the other face painters were busy.

I got started, and he said, 'Actually, can I be half spiderman and half venom?'. I was slightly worried, as I'm really not artistic, and I wasn't sure who Venom was, and I didn't know how uncool I'd appear if I had to ask him...
I guessed that Venom was Spiderman turned evil in the 3rd film, and it turned out I was right....which was fortunate, because it meant I'd be able to paint it!

I carried on with the spiderman side, and his friend (a little boy whom Nicky was painting as a butterfly) turned around and said, 'Oy, you look really gay'.

I was thinking, 'Excuuuuuuuuse me?! Am I really going to take this coming from you - Butterfly Boy?!', but instead I just said, 'Thats coz I'm not done yet'.

By the time I'd finished doing Spiderman/Venom, Butterfly Boy had been finished and was standing watching me. As soon as I put down my paint brush, Butterfly Boy asked me to change him to Spiderman/Venom instead.

Ha! So he didn't look so gay after all!

Face painting is addictive! I did lots of kids, and then when I ran out of kids, I forced adults to have their faces painted as well.
Nicky also painted my face. I was a butterfly - but a much cooler one than Butterfly Boy.

At the moment I feel a bit like I assume Michelangelo must have felt......except with faces, and not ceilings.

=)