Dream comes true for one Strathmore woman

Times Reporter

 

Getting a chance to do what you love is everyone’s dream goal, and for one Strathmore woman it’s a dream come true.  Angela Hitch’s work is well known all over town, but many people may not know her name. She is a face painter, and is always at Heritage Days. She also volunteers her time to do the make-up for the Westmount Elementary and Wheatland Elementary School performances among other things. 

“I’m just really grateful that I get to work in Strathmore doing what I love, what I absolutely love. Aside from my husband I have never had so much passion for something, ever,” said Hitch.

“The hugest payoff for me when I do face painting is just to see the kids and how they change into that character or that animal that they ask for.”

Having their face painted can bring out the kid’s personalities, and Hitch said she loves seeing a little girl or boy who may be super shy suddenly running around pretending to be that animal she has turned them into.

Hitch’s daughter Sara was a Grade 3 student at the time when Dana Graff came to Westmount Elementary and took over the drama performances. Graff was looking volunteers to do the make up, and for Hitch, who is a make-up artist it, was a natural fit.  

She said the first year the make up being used was cream-based, and she didn’t like it so she went on a mission to find better quality make up. It was through this hunt that she found face paints, and began training and learning.

Hitch has worked and trained with some of the world’s best face painters, including her good friend Lucie Brouillard who has competed in the World Bodypainting festival. 

“I’ve been able to go to convention and take workshops. It’s been a great investment for me and this is something I can truly retire with,” said Hitch. 

It was a bit of a transition for her to go from being a make up artist to becoming a face painter.

“It was tough and the hardest part was being creative, because when you do just professional make up (there’s) not a lot of fantasy involved in that…it’s standard stuff that you use. This is a whole different application,” said Hitch. 

Though Hitch is paid for a lot of her work, she also gives back to the community by volunteering her services. 

“I try to balance it out so that I can give back to the community in my own way through my business. If I could do it for free and be able to sustain my family, I would do it,” said Hitch. 

Face painting has also allowed Hitch to meet a number of interesting people from parties she has painted at. She worked an event that Paul Brandt attended. There have been parties with cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers, and she has painted the crew of Heartland.

“I got to do the KISS concert, I got to face paint at that.  They actually hired my girlfriend and I from Calgary and we came and painted KISS faces at the concert, they could have spit on us we were that close, it was so cool,” said Hitch. 

“You never know who you are going to bump into when you’re doing this stuff. Like I said, I’m just so grateful that I’m just this mom with three kids who gets to go out and have a little fun and make money at the same time.”

Hitch has also been working on perfecting 3D face painting. She said it’s all under black light, and is all an optical illusion. People would still need 3D glasses to see it, but she can get the eyes to pop, or a flower to pop off of someone’s skin. 

Her favourite designs come from the imaginations of little boys. “I like the boys, I like the designs that the boys come up with like the skulls and the monsters and dragons and all of that kind of stuff. I do like doing butterflies and the fairy faces but I’m kind of a Halloween girl,” said Hitch laughing. 

There have been horror stories of children getting their face painted and breaking out with an allergic reaction. Hitch said in the past people used to use acrylic, or poster paint or temperas. She said they are designed for posters and paper, not for skin.

“The face paint that I use, it’s a cosmetic, it’s totally non-toxic and safe for all skin types,” said Hitch.

“I really try to let parents know that even Halloween, or birthday parties, anything like that. If you can’t afford to get the right product then please don’t use it. If you’re not going to put it on your own face please don’t put it on a kid’s.”

Her children have been her guinea pigs for years when it comes to perfecting her designs, and though sometimes they may get a little sick of it, they have some of the best make up when Halloween comes around.  

Anyone interested in learning more can contact Angela Hitch at 403-983-6243, 403-361-3463 or at ang.hitch@gmail.com.