2018 International Face Painting School Graduates

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Kelli Zermeño — 18 December 2018 —

Anything worth doing is worth doing right.

The old adage never ceases to be true. Any professional will tell you that to achieve true success in your field, you have to get serious and put in the leg-work. Face and body art is no exception.

While certification is not required to be a professional face painter, there is certainly a noticeable difference between artists who invest time and money into their craft and those who treat it as a side-gig.

Additionally, it can be oh so easy to get stuck in a creative rut when you have been in the industry for a considerable amount of time.

Learning from other creative professionals in your industry will make a markedly noticeable difference in the level of your skills.

Graduates 2018 - International Face Painting School

The International Face Painting School is quickly becoming one of the most convenient and soundest ways to take your face painting skills to greater heights than you ever thought possible.

The expert instruction of founder Olga Murasev and her team of trained instructors: Kristin Olsson and Annabel Hoogeveen, truly make instruction of each student extremely personalized and detailed.

The well-laid curriculum adds a fresh perspective to the art of face painting. These students took the leap of faith to invest in themselves and their careers and the results of their hard work and determination speak volumes about the integrity of the program.

The fully-accredited program and graduate diploma will put you far ahead of the competition and solidify you as a true professional. 🥇😎

Meet Our Graduates

We proudly present to you, a remarkable group of graduates who studied at the School, on the Elite Course, under the guidance of our instructors. These women have gained some truly amazing achievements.

Their life stories place such a wide lens on our family. Showcasing the different types of people from all over the globe who are we rolling in the School and becoming a part of our artist’s community.

Audrey Miché
This Parisian makeup artist stayed organized, and her determination certainly paid off as she graduated in a mere 4.5 months!

an image of our student Audrey Miche showing the camera her Face painting diploma

At 43 years old, Audrey has lived the Parisian dream. Working as a professional makeup artist for TV, fashion and beauty events. She has truly made a living from her art. She discovered the art of face painting during her career and fell in love. She studied and practiced her new art, but was really thrilled at the chance to attend the School.

She firmly believes that as artists we should never cease to improve our skills, and feels that the instruction she received from Olga truly helped her perfect her craft. Her newfound knowledge has really expanded upon her creativity and will propel her makeup and face painting careers to new heights!

four images - two before and two after images showcasing the face painting progress of Audrey Miche

I am so honored and so happy to have completed Olga’s courses in such a short time. I am also impressed myself ah ah ah ! I just want to thank you, Olga, for helping me with your feedback because it was just wonderful!

I know we all have a busy life, but I must say that makeup is my passion. Let me tell you something, not makeup related but maybe it can help! I read a book 6 years ago that has opened my eyes, it is a book called “Unlimited power” from Anthony Robbins, that gave me strengths at that time.

And I learned in that book that if you want to succeed in whatever business or in your personal life, nothing has to stop you from being whatever you want to be and that you should look at how people succeed and follow the best.

So here I am, I followed the best training face painting School!

I tried to be as diligent as I could. Even if I did not have time, I just painted something on my arm, just to practice a bit. When I just paint something that I like, it just relaxes me… so it is good for me too😛. And I guess the best way to make time, is to take time😁 What else can I say? Practice makes perfect!

Audrey Miché

Dottie Kastl
The woman who became the Soul of the School upon her graduation.💖 Her inspirational journey from inexperienced beginner to a successful professional artist after retirement is enough to give us all hope that we can do this, no matter what.

an image of our student Dottie Kastl showing the camera her Face painting diploma

Dottie’s kind and uplifting comradery with her fellow students earned her her official title and position in the school. The School simply wouldn’t be the same without her, as many of us students can definitely agree. Students can look for her weekly inspirational posts in the School’s closed students the only group!

Dottie and her husband live in Goldendale, Washington, USA where she now runs her company Face Painting and Glitter Tattoos full time. This vivacious lady is 65 years young and she also enjoys clay sculpting and jewelry making as well.

three images of face painting designs on three mannequin heads - flowers, a dragon and superhero designs

I have tears of joy!!! Wow… throughout my years of schooling, I have not been so blessed to of had two wonderful and loving teachers like you and Kristin.

I thank you so much and wherever I go to paint I will proudly represent my instructor Kristin and my School always!💕💕

Dottie Kastl

a before and after image of a superhero face painting design
Tip: The success of our graduates is our proudest achievement at the School! Read more about Dottie’s journey in our article Achieving Greatness where we showcase the very first crop of School graduates, several of whom are now employed with the School! 😍

Lisa Harris
This talented lady truly gained confidence in herself and in her art during the studies. She learned how to accept herself and how to find happiness in her achievements.

an image of our student Lisa Harris showing the camera her Face painting diploma

With a background in sketch and canvas painting, she first tried her hand at face painting 7 years ago at the request of her college best friend who works as a face painter. She quickly saw that there was a huge difference in painting on canvas versus skin. But… she was determined to do it! She studied YouTube tutorials and websites until she made the decision to enroll in the School.

This North Carolina girl leads a double professional life… Clinical Pharmacist in Oncology Infusion by day and face painter for her company Flower Child Face Painting on the weekends. And did we mention she’s a mom of 5?! She truly shows that when there’s a will, there’s a way.

Thank you so much, Olga! You have been the best, most wonderful teacher I’ve ever had!!! It’s the happiest I’ve been in many years. What an accomplishment!!!

Lisa Harris

Cathrine Enger Johansen
A beacon of positivity! Cathrine is a face painter/clown entertainer with more than 10 years of experience. Though she had over a decade of experience in the industry, she felt she could take her skills to the next level with the School. During her training, she was able to get rid of ossified bad habits due to her flexible mind and dedication to the art.

She works full time as a children’s entertainer with her fabulous team of artists, spreading color and joy in and around Moss, Norway. Her business, Klovnen Cathrine Mous.no is thriving and she says her completion of the School has made her more confident and secure in the way she presents her face painting business.

I wanted to improve my overall skills, learn new techniques and upgrade my designs to a new level. All of that is absolutely achieved! I want to be a role model for my team, and there was no way I could skip this School.

I am so grateful for your expertise and for our friendship, Olga. I have learned a great deal, and I am still eager to learn even more and I know I will. Thank you again for all feedback and cheers! You’re the best!

My next step will be to continue to encourage my team and be a good role model — always practice to get better, never be greedy, and always be generous and kind and we shall be the best face painters in Norway 😉

Cathrine Enger Johansen

Rosita Frank
The Queen of Organization, this farm gal went from a newbie to pro super quickly. From the very beginning, it was obvious that she had talent, but she truly amazed us with how quickly she caught on and completed her designs.

an image of our student Rosita Frank showing the camera her Face painting diploma

Rosita and her husband Josef live and work on their sheep farm in beautiful Switzerland with their 2 preschool aged children, Emily and Alias. Working part-time as a makeup artist for the last 15 years, she became fascinated with face painting. When she saw Olga’s ad for the School on Facebook, she convinced her husband that she was ready to become serious about the move to face painting. She now face paints for parties and festivals locally and recently instructed her first face painting course!

Oh my God!!! 😍😍😍 I can hardly believe it! What a great feeling!!! When I started the course, I did not think I was capable! But at some point, it came to my mind that I was always very good at drawing lessons. And to paint a copy was my strength. That helped me with the exam. And without Emily, it would not have been possible!!! She is my star!!💖

I am infinitely grateful to you, my instructors, for giving me this opportunity!!! You have created great artists!!! It is a great honor for me to be a part of it, and now I will celebrate!!!🍾 Thank you so much!!!
With love Rosi 😚

Rosita Frank

Tip: Would you like to try out the course before you commit to the full thing? Try our FREE Online Workshop to improve your skills and get a feel for the curriculum!

Linnéa Novak Önnerby
This amazing lady started from scratch and became a real pro in just one year of the studies. Follow her on social media and you’ll soon see her wonderful sense of humor in her work.

an image of our student Linnea Onnerby Novak showing the camera her Face painting diploma

She became pregnant during her studies, but didn’t let that slow her down! I think we all thoroughly enjoyed her hilarious posts about being overdue and painting herself during the end of her pregnancy.

This busy momma of 2 started her own small face painting business in Sweden, and (as if she weren’t busy enough!) she also writes and does tutorials for Facepaint.com. She is looking forward to adding airbrush to her list of services as well! Take a look at the amazing progress she made from her beginnings as a face painter in the School!

Thanks, Kristin Olsson and Olga Murasev for being my lovely mentors and for always pushing me to be better, giving me great feedback and to keep on growing. Much has happened in only one year!

I have grown so much and I am so inspired now! This journey is not over for me, I will keep on growing and learning and get inspired by this beautiful world of face and body art. Love you guys. Thank you! 💖

Linnéa Novak Önnerby

Linnea was extremely diligent in documenting her progress! It’s astounding the extreme change in her work from the beginning to now!
Starting out as a complete beginner, Linnéa made the move to professional face painter in just ONE year! Not only did she tremendously boost her skills, but she was also able to raise her rates, gain even more gigs, and as a result, set up a prosperous face painting business thanks to the knowledge and abilities that she gained.

Helene Rantzau
A force of raw talent that unlocked her ability to direct the flow of her energy in the right direction thanks to proper guidance.

helene rantzau face painter

Helene has been a professional face painter since 2010 with her business Sminkehjørnet in Denmark. She made the decision to enroll in the School in the Elite Program to master new skills and to obtain the accredited title of Certified Face Painter.

She has high standards for herself and she knew the courses at the School along with Olga’s instruction could help her get that much closer to reaching her goal of winning 1st place in the face painting category at the World Body Painting Competition in Austria one day!

Helene will take the skills she’s learned to continue growing her business in Denmark and further perfect her skills. She will prepare herself for competition in Austria and plans to attend as many other workshops and conventions with professional face painters as possible.

Being a professional does not mean you can’t learn new things and further the skills you already have! Helene is proof that you can take your own style and use the skills taught in the School to truly take your craft up to a whole new level. Good luck in Austria!

Thank you so very much, Olga! It’s been so much fun to bounce ideas back and forth and thank you for pushing me beyond what you knew I was already capable of! It’s been my pleasure to take the designs to a whole new level and explore my creativity!😊❤️

Helene Rantzau

Tip: Check out our article Face Painting Conventions, Jams, and Awards for the scoop on how you too can compete and learn from the best in the business!

For those of you ready to go Pro, check out our Professional’s Face Painting Guide.

Christine Hüttner
A positive attitude and consistency was the key ingredient for Christine’s School success. Many times students will have to repeatedly repaint a design, and that can get frustrating. But Christine never let it get to her.

an image of our student Christine Hiittner showing the camera her Face painting diploma

A busy 42-year-old mom of 3, and a full-time teacher for the disabled, Christine is a true embodiment of determination. This Swiss teacher found a love for face painting as a teenager and rediscovered the art in her adult years.

She says the skills and encouragement Olga and Kristin bestowed upon her made the entire process totally worth it. She will continue building up her business Funkelstern Kinderschminken and working with her church and community as a special needs teacher.

It was such an amazing time! I gave only back what I get from both of you: Kristin and Olga, you are so friendly, motivating, lovely and patient!

I sent you more than 200 pictures to get feedback 🙈 and you never gave me the feeling that I’m moving forward like a snail. 😂🐌

Christine Hüttner

A before and after image of a unicorn face paint designs showcasing the progress of Christine Huttner
Tip: A large component of being a professional face painter is having the right tools. Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Face Painting to learn where to start and how to build your professional kit.

Monica Braathu
This kid-loving artist showed extreme dedication and productivity in her studies. She thoroughly analyzed all of her homework, diligently compared focal points, directions and composition placement to ensure she was following the rules of face painting as she was taught. She made sure she understood the theory behind every aspect of the curriculum and how it applied to her designs. No surprise here… she’s a professional teacher.😂😉

Monica Braathu face painter

Hailing from Moss, Norway this 45-year-old Kindergarten teacher has found yet another way to connect with children! She has been face painting for 3.5 years with her company Klovnen Do Re Mi, but desired to take her art further.

While she will continue teaching during the week, she says that with her newfound skills, face painting has never been more fun! The birthday parties and painting gigs are an absolute joy for her. The magic of face painting is such a beautiful way to connect with children.

Yey! I did it😍😍👏👏🎉Time to celebrate! Happy and sad at the same time… but new adventures wait me😊😊

This has been a wonderful journey and I would love to thank you Olga Murasev! Big time for everything you thought me… I’ve grown even more fond of face painting now! Thank you!

Monica Braathu

We could truly go on and on about the amazing stories of success and confidence that our graduates have gained thanks to these studies. Unfortunately, that blog post would be a mile long! So instead, we proudly present this list of our 2018 graduates.

 

What’s the best part about graduating from the School? Once enrolled in the School, every student and graduate becomes a member of our big painty family FOREVER. Forever connected, and forever supporting each other in our private premium community of artists from all over the globe!

International Face Painting School graduates of the year 2018:

  • Elodie Bisegna
  • Natalya Ivchenko-Ovcharenko
  • Ekaterina Kotilovich
  • Audrey Miché
  • Annabel Hoogeveen
  • Monica Braathu
  • Veerle Vandekerckhove
  • Belen Canosa
  • Helene Rantzau
  • Miriam Jimenez
  • Svetlana Hromenkova
  • Grischa Stuer
  • Petra Knafl
  • Nadejda Ivanova
  • Caroline Weihrauch
  • Tina Ambæk Henriksen
  • Chavie Goldberger
  • Olga Degenhard
  • Mila Yankauskiene
  • Dottie Kastl
  • Lisa Harris
  • Christine Hüttner
  • Cathrine Enger Johansen
  • Natacha Emery
  • Rosita Frank
  • Melissa French
  • Linnéa Novak Önnerby
  • Laura Hewetson
  • Evghenya Polyakova
  • Tanya Renner
  • Nadege Viala

And the list isn’t complete yet for this year, as we expect a couple more fresh graduates in December! 😀👏👏

We couldn’t be prouder of our graduates! The achievements and awards these artists are racking up make us feel like a bunch of proud mommas! We will continue growing and developing our curriculum and learning opportunities and we would love to add you to our School roster.

Are you thinking about taking the plunge? Hop on over to Take a Class for more information!

Take a Class at the International Face Painting School

How have your skills grown since you began as a face painter? Drop your photos below! 👇👇👇

 — Kelli Zermeño

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