Westville Body Painter Makes Her (Mermaid) Mark

Pride, excitement, and gratitude were some of the emotions face and body painter Lauren Wilson of Westville had in response to learning that one of her painted mermaids had landed on the cover of SkinMarkZ Magazine, the first U.S.-based magazine dedicated to face painting, body art, illusion, and special effects.

The image, which features model Lauren Bowden against a glowing sunset at Long Island Sound, photographed at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven by photographer Joe Crawford, drew considerable attention by those who had come to the beach for reasons other than the shoot. Wilson skillfully painted the complex scaly features on three mermaids as part of a creative team of artists that included Amber Wrightington (hair), Danielle Crawford (makeup and model), and Elizabeth Pitka (model) in addition to Bowden, who also designed the mermaid outfits.

For the last half-dozen years, Wilson has been a featured face painter at Westville’s annual Artwalk festival, animating young faces as part of her thriving business, the aptly named Animate My Face. Wilson also does birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, corporate events, sporting events like the CT Open, nightclubs, festival events, and fairs.

With the season of country fairs now underway, Wilson prepares for marathon painting sessions that can run for two to four consecutive days of all-day face painting. Not far from her eye-catching booth at the Haddam Neck Fair recently, where Wilson was enjoying her fifth appearance, muscular draft horses rigged in elaborate harnesses, some bedecked in silver-studded halters, yanked concrete-weighted sleds from their positions in bursts of sinew and flaring nostrils.

The drama, scaled down in ​“Miss Lauren’s” face painting booth, is one of calmness and transformation, and no less a part of country fair culture.

Engaging young sitters with reassuring tones and friendly chat, Wilson steadies faces with a gentle touch, asking youngsters about their fair-going experiences: ​“Have you seen the baby alpacas yet?”

Wilson said she feels like Santa Claus every time a child gazes at their painted face in a mirror, excitedly commenting with approval and delight.

Working next to her at the Haddam Neck Fair was Catie Kacenski, another skilled face painter helping to deal with the non-stop flow of those wishing to become blue tigers, superheroes, or any number of characters and creatures posted, but not limited to, a menu board just outside the tent. It is not unusual for the face painters to paint in excess of 125 faces per session, along with offerings of painted tattoos, airbrushed hats, and T‑shirts. Wilson, who said said she is fully insured, follows ​“best practices” that include FDA compliant make-up and sanitation procedures for her specialized paints, brushes, and equipment.

Attending Hamden’s Paier College of Art, Wilson majored in illustration, studying with Tim O’Brien, notable illustrator and current president of the Society of Illustrators. Her interests in photorealistic painting and the art of trompe‑l’oeil (Deceive the eye) led to a post-college career in commissioned portraiture work of both humans and pets, furniture faux finishing, and other freelance work.

For the most part, Wilson’s realistic illustration work requiring ultra fine motor skills has been hampered by the carpal tunnel syndrome she said she developed following pregnancy over a decade ago. Working with her specialized paintbrushes and sponges nowadays allows her the freedom to continue her creative work without exacerbating her condition.

Wilson said interest in art came at an early age. She spent many hours painting in front of the television as she followed the lessons of legendary soft-spoken television artist Bob Ross. Her interest in face painting specifically, however, is owed to Hurricane Irene, when it knocked out power to her upper Westville neighborhood for eight days in 2005. ​“Kids were bored and hanging around with nothing to do, so I started painting their faces,” she said.

What began as an incidental hobby has evolved into a full-fledged business. Wilson has attended seminars with master body painters from around the world, gone to conventions, and sometimes gotten together with other body paint artists at meet-ups ​“just to jam and throw paint.”

Her repertoire of things to paint is also expanding — literally. Increasingly, prenatal body (belly) painting has become a way to celebrate imminent births. Wilson said she has already painted a number of ​“baby-bump” baby-welcoming themes.

Wilson has also been experimenting with airbrushed tattoos for pets and appeared at the CT Pet Expo at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport last Saturday. She said the demand for dog tattoos was robust with some dog owners opting for matching tattoos with their pets. Wilson’s next Animate My Face appearance will be at the Guilford Fair, which runs Sept. 16 ‑18.

For Wilson, painting faces is not just about the art form. ​“The best part of my job is being part of celebrations and bringing joy with me where ever I go. It’s about interacting with the public, and seeing kids’ immediate sense of gratification — every five minutes” she said.

For more information, visit the Animate My Face website, or follow Wilson on Instagram.