Marissa at the “Angels en la Casa” show at Art Space, Hartford, showing off body painting in 2013. Marissa won the show’s “People’s Choice” category for her contribution and began working with Kaleidoscope shortly after.
Marissa is a professional party entertainer based out of West Hartford, CT who began her career as a theme park face painter during her summers in college. After finishing her B.A. in Art from CCSU, she dove head-first into her love of face painting and completed her Special Effects Makeup certification from La Bella Makeup School in Danbury.
Marissa started at Kaleidoscope in 2013 and is available to entertain at your event for almost any type of party entertainment we offer including:
Marissa also works in the Kaleidoscope office as the Head of Talent and is involved in hiring, training, and managing all of our amazing party artists, as well as with anything else the office might need. (If you’ve had one of our artists at your event, odds are they were trained by Marissa!)
See some of her verified reviews here:
When and why did you start Face and Body Painting?
I started working as a face painter at a theme park as a summer job. I was in art school and I needed extra income for when my on-campus graphic design job paused for the summer. The first time I picked up a face painting brush it filled me with joy–I wanted to do it forever!
What’s your favorite art form (or performance etc) to do here?
I still have huge love for face painting, but I think tarot and mentalism are my favorites now. I have less opportunities to do them (they’re more niche than most services we provide) and I love connecting with people when I do them!
If you could only pick one, would you rather do face painting or balloon twisting forever and why?
Ahhhh that’s hard…. maybe balloon twisting (even if I love face painting more) just because I’ve mastered face painting, and it’s literally endless what I could do and learn with balloons!
What are people’s reactions when you tell them You’re a professional party entertainer?
They’re in disbelief that this is a real job! Most people don’t think arts jobs exist, but they do and I wishes we conveyed that message to the public. The working artists I know aren’t “starving” or “depressed”. We love our work, we have financial goals, and we know how lucky we are to be here. I truly love being a face painter, and I have plenty of other artist friends who have amazing niche jobs.
What is one surprising fact about you?
I don’t paint or draw for fun anymore! People assume that since this is my job, but like everyone else I want to clock out of work and relax at the end of the day. I normally garden, read, or exercise to unwind after work.
What do you think your superpower as an Face Painter or Balloon Twister is?
I love making kids laugh and feel good, including shy ones! I used to be a classroom teacher, so I’m also patient with the not-so-shy ones. (And I think that energy goes even farther than good art!)
What was the most memorable party you ever entertained at?
I have a horrible fear of heights (not falling, just being high) and I was once scheduled for the top of a sky scraper… in a pent house in Boston…. on an open balcony. I still managed to get through the event, but I don’t know how!
What is the biggest factor in determining if a college event will go smoothly or not?
Please tell us where parking is! Please send a map! I love college events but they’re logistically so challenging when we don’t know where anything on your campus is. Explain it to us like we’re blind, our GPS is dead, and we’ve never seen a university campus before in out lives.
What is your favorite activity for summer camp event entertainment and why?
Foam! Our foam cannons are so cool, it really gets the kids energy out and they’re just sooo fun even for counselors. You can make it work easily for your camp schedule too. I wish we’d had them when we were kids!
A full-time fantasy author by trade (with over 30 years of entertaining readers under his belt) James M brings his flair for other periods and places to his magic.
Jeanette A has been with Kaleidoscope since 2016 and while she started as a princess, she quickly rose to Kaleido-fame as an amazing face painter and balloon twister! (Not to mention most types of temporary tattoos and other cartoon characters, but who’s counting?)
Olivia G began working at Kaleidoscope in May of 2015 as a high schooler who heard about a face painter princess job through her local high school theatre program.
Since then, she’s become one of our most seasoned face painters, balloon twisters, and performers! Olivia has since graduated first high school and then from Stonehill College with a double major in biology and secondary education. While not entertaining at events, Olivia is public school science teacher in Massachusetts who balances her love of education with her passion for the arts.
Olivia is a Ellington, Connecticut native who now lives in the Greater Boston area and entertains throughout southern New England, so no matter where your party is you may see her soon!
Read some of Olivia’s verified Google Reviews from the past decade of her work here!
Face Painter Interview with Olivia
When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope?
May of 2015. A recruiter came to Ellington High School theatre program and I thought…who doesn’t want to be a princess for a living? Sign me up! 😀
What is your favorite part of Face Painting?
Nothing beats turning around the mirror to somebody and seeing their face light up with joy 🙂 It’s one of the best feelings in the world!
What are people’s reactions when you tell them You’re a professional Kids Party Entertainer?
It’s hard for them to wipe the shock off their face. Especially when they know I teach high school biology on top of it. They always wonder which came first: the science or the art?!? I always tell them I was born to do both 🙂
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about what you do?
That I teach high school science on top of my KScope artistry! People always think you’re either a sciencey-STEM person or an artsy-creative peep. You can always be both! Break the mold and do what makes your heart happy!
What do you think your superpower as a face painter or balloon twister is?
Being able to engage everybody at the party. I will get all the kids AND adults to participate! Face painting has no age limits 🙂
What’s your favorite part of being a Professional artist?
Having a creative outlet. I never like being put into a box — and being able to freely create with paints, balloons, and characters wakes up my brain and keeps it fresh. Always keeping me on my toes!
What’s one piece of advice you give to every parent planning a birthday party?
Sit back, relax, and have fun. You’ve planned such an amazing event and put in so much hard work – you deserve to enjoy it too!
What’s one thing you want every corporate event planner to know?
Please bring us water!!! And put us in the shade if you can! Usually these events are longer than normal and we want to be in optimal shape for the entire party 🙂
Susanna P has been a professional face painter and balloon twister since 2012 and was one of Kaleidoscope’s first party entertainers. She first started with us all the way back in 2013 and has been a staple of our crew ever since!
Natalie is a face painter and balloon twister based out of Milford CT. She also plays a wide variety of characters, including pirates, fairies, and princesses!
A Connecticut native, Natalie spent years traveling across the country to study and produce theatre. She studied drama and anthropology at Bennington College in Vermont before working with La MaMa in NYC; The Athena Project in Denver Colorado; and the Kattaikkuttu Sangam in Punjarasantankal, India. Excerpts from two of Natalie’s plays, The Seven Ravens and Diaries of the Lost, were read at the Classic Theatre of Harlem NYC.
Natalie is an amazing face painter and balloon twister and would love to come provide some magicial children’s party entertainment at your upcoming event in Southern Connecticut or beyond!
Meghan B has been a member of the Kaleidoscope-Crew since March 2016 and is one of our most-talented balloon twister who doubles as a face painter, based in Meriden CT but currently traveling all over New England for parties that want the best balloon twister around.
Ginny is a long-time face painter here, as well as one of Kaleidoscope’s multi-talented artist! She has been here since August 2016, is based in Hamden CT, and serves Central and Eastern CT, as well as occasionally Southern MA.
