I have been actively creative since I could hold a pencil, and had my first try at body painting in 1979.  Paints available then were limited but I liked the results.  By 1983 I was in demand as an artists model and found myself at both ends of the brush, as I was lucky enough to work at Shrewsbury School of Art.  There, I had the freedom to work on my own projects and some of the students would return the favor by modeling for me!    We used slide projectors to throw images onto each other, then ‘coloured in’ the results – if you have never tried body painting, this is a great way to start.  Have a go and see easy it is, and how much fun you have!

Face painting came along later, when I was simply handed a palette and told to get on with it!  The Circus where I lived and worked had always maintained strong links with the local community, and offered educational opportunities wherever we traveled.  Groups of special needs children and children in care came to visit – for free - and were given one-to-one attention throughout the day, hands-on tuition in just about anything they wanted to try, and by the time they took their seats for the show had already had a wonderful time.  By then I was presenting a traditional fakir act, and with fire, pointy-spikes and sharp objects had little to offer our guests – until the boss gave me those paints, and I never looked back.  (To all in the UK – those of you who watched ‘Heartbeat’ between Christmas and the New Year will have seen some of the show on tv). 

As well as the expected clown and tiger faces, I wanted to offer something more sophisticated and so began to reproduce the traditional scrollwork patterns we had painted on our lorries and living wagons for centuries, as cheek and arm designs.  These patterns are handed down through families, and each family’s livery is unique to them.  These designs are being lost as the old family-run shows are being lost, but evidently their influence ‘rubs off’, as they continue to surface in my work.

In 1990 ‘Makin’ Faces!’ was born, and consisted of myself, and my Ring and stage partner Louise Hampson.  Since then we have gone from strength to strength and attend corporate functions, store openings, book launches, fundraisers etc, as well as providing face and body paintings for promotions, advertising, and running workshops teaching face and body art.  I discovered the ‘list’ in 2000, having up to then lived a more itinerant lifestyle than most, with internet connection beyond the scope of the technology available to me, and my style and techniques all my own as a result.  Boy, was it good to get some feedback!  The List has been an unsurpassed source of just about everything – knowledge, advice, humor and camaraderie!   My work as a face and body artist can be seen throughout the SNAZAROO site, where it has been declared worthy of many an honourable mention as well as being ‘placed’ (including 1^st) several times.  On the body painting page you can see a design which has recently been taken on by a company producing embroidery kits, and which will be available during 2003.

I book well in advance, and as well as face and body painting, tour schools where I talk about my life with the Circus, our culture and history, or give creative workshops.  Call me on (+44) 01307 818285, mail me a smile@louise-lear.info or visit me at www.louise-lear.info.   Although I live now in north-east Scotland, I continue to travel all over the UK and Europe and will happily paint for you wherever in the world you are :o)