Meet Jessica Darnell with Happy Days Face Paint

Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story today! To kick things off, please introduce yourself — who you are, your background, what service you provide?

Hi! I'm Jessica Darnell. I'm an artist, lover of nature and all things creative. Passionate about connecting with people and building community. I was born in Canada but my travels brought me to Texas with my amazing husband and children. Over the past few years I've been building a face painting business where I can merge my love of interacting with people and art. I love bringing an extra element of creativity to any event.

How did you get started? What led you to this industry? Was it always the plan?

My family and I would visit local events where face painting was present. One event in particular I would visit regularly and got to know the face painter. She encouraged me to try face painting — so I did! I thought it would be a once in a while, side hustle but quickly turned into a weekly job! Consistency, high quality, and loving what I get to do has paid off!

What do you love most about the work? What keeps you motivated and inspired day to day?

As stated before I love being creative and connecting with clients. Every child (or adult) that's in my chair has a story. I love small moments of connection. I also love the grand reveal, when the person looks in the mirror after their face has been transformed! The smiles, the happy gasps and sometimes even tears! It's so rewarding to see people light up with excitement. Bringing that type of joy to an event makes it all worth it.

What's something people don't see or know about your industry?

Hiring hard working, local professionals will always go further than a big business. There are some large party businesses that provide face painting, but the quality, consistency and treatment of the employees is often lacking, which shows through in the customer service. Oftentimes these big party businesses are generating a lot of traffic, but offering low quality services. Face painting has changed a lot over the last few years! There are classes, conventions, and hours and hours of practice that go into perfecting each design. It's not just natural talent, but loads of hard work that go into providing a great experience. To be a professional face painter is a long process of practice, classes as well as using premium paints and brushes. Hiring someone who is personable as well as skilled is a game changer for any event. It's easy to overlook the physicality of this job — sometimes standing and painting for 10 hours straight! This can be a very physically demanding job.

What do you want potential clients to know about you or your work?

I hope people can see my genuine heart behind what I do. I truly care for every person that sits in my chair and hope to give them a wonderful experience. I also deeply value quality and performance. Merging these two gifts makes me thrive in what I do. I make guests feel welcomed, noticed and special as well as delivering exceptional art. Face painting and body art makes any event stand out and draws out smiles from all ages.

What's your service area, and what types of events do you typically work?

I service all of Austin and the surrounding area, and I'm open to events of all sizes - small parties, larger gatherings, and even festivals!

Your contact info, booking link, and socials are on your Maisaic profile, is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

Thank you for reading and connecting! Please follow along on social media. Mention Maisaic while booking for 10% off your first hour.