October 2017

 can be traced from ancient Greek and Roman theater through court jesters, all the way to the modern day entertainer, but the creep factor is not so easy to pinpoint.  Many ideas come back to the almost-human-like face of the clown. For example, Professor Masahiro Mori’s uncanny valley theory proposes that things that look very much, but not precisely, like humans invoke empathy and revulsion in real humans, which is why some people find them so scary. Others believe that the fear started with the court jester, who had the unusual and uncomfortable privilege of being allowed to insult the king. There are even reports of “bad clowns” in history, such as a jester in the 14th century who tried to kill the king, according to Jack Morgan of the University of Missouri. 

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I’m a facepainter! I work in the Maryland/DC/Northern Virgina area.

 

 

Believe it or not, my uncle was a trained clown for Ringling Bros! When I was about 13, he noticed that I was artistic, and suggested that I give facepainting a try. I was skeptical at first, but after I got started, I just couldn’t stop!I practiced at my sister’s swim meets, where I would paint “Eat My Bubbles” on competitor’s backs, or give them intimidating faces to boost morale. The best part is that it would wash off while they competed, so I would be able to practice all day long! Now, 11 years later, I’m still facepainting, and still loving it.

 

 

My absolute favorite event was for a lovely lady’s 90th birthday party. There were four generations of the family there, and I was able to paint the matron of the family while she held her great grandchild on her lap. It was such a touching event, and proves that you’re never too old to have your face painted!

 

 

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