Jenni W is one of Kaleidoscope’s most seasoned artists! Jenni began with Kaleidoscope in 2016 as a face painter and balloon twister. With an eclectic creative background (she’s done everything from illustration and costuming to building actual airplanes), Jenni quickly picked a huge variety of art at Kaleidoscope including:
- Face painting
- Balloon twisting
- Caricatures
- Henna tattoos (and all 4 types of temporary tattoos we offer)
- Stilt walking
- Mascot characters
- Paint parties
As one of our most experienced artists here, she can do virtually anything your event requires and is one of our most prolific entertainers!
Interview with Jenni: West Hartford CT Caricature Artist and Balloon Twister
When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope?Â
I was seventeen and looking for a side job I could do on the weekends. I found the listing randomly and since I was already a digital artist, a job in the arts sounded fun – plus, I’d previously had a summer job as a wedding florist which gave me an idea of what to expect in the event industry.
What’s your favorite art form (or performance etc) to do here? What is your favorite part of it?
I find caricatures to be really challenging in a satisfying way – I’m always looking to improve and there’s real, measurable ways to improve. I enjoy comparing my old caricatures to my more recent work and seeing how I’ve grown!
If you could only pick one, would you rather do face painting or balloon twisting forever and why?
I think balloon twisting has more room for improvement: meaning, after years and years of experience, I could still be getting better and making more and more impressive designs. I feel like face painting has a definite skill ceiling, although there’s tons of ways to branch out into body painting and UV that I’m interested.
What are people’s reactions when you tell them You’re a professional Balloon Twister or Caricature Artist?
It takes a bit of explaining for most people to understand what it is I actually do, but they tend to find it unique and kind of funny. I think they look at me and go, ‘yeah, I can see it.’ (Not sure what about me looks like a balloon twister, but I’ll take it!)
What is one surprising fact about you?
My dad is a recreational pilot with a homebuilt P-36 Hawk scale replica, and I’ve been flying in GA aircraft since I was a baby. I’ve always wanted my own Curtiss Jenny biplane!
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about what you do?
I think people don’t expect the amount of discipline it requires to work in the event industry. They hear you’re a balloon twister and think you must not be that serious, but really it requires a lot of organization and flexibility.
Your schedule is completely random and you often have very long days, even if the event itself is relatively short. There is a lot of driving. It’s not just fun and games– it can be easy to burn out.
What do you think your superpower as an artist is?
I have a lot of versatility, in that I have a wide variety of different skills from dabbling in different art forms. I’ve always preferred to be a jack of all trades and a master of none, and the opportunities to learn new art forms to add to my arsenal is one of my favorite parts of this job.
What was the most memorable party you ever entertained at?
I have a lot of stories, but I’ll never forget the birthday party for a thirteen year old girl and a few of her friends in her basement. I was there as a balloon twister and face painter doing a combo package. It was so chill, I got to hang out at their slumber party for a bit, and after I was done, someone came with various insect and reptile animal ambassadors and I got to hold a stick bug! How cool is that for a birthday party!
What’s your favorite part of Entertaining at Kids Parties?
I honestly love just never knowing what to expect. I’ve had a lot of fun, crazy, weird, unique experiences. Every day is a little different, and that suits me.
What’s your favorite part of being an artist?
This question feels a bit like ‘what’s your favorite part of being a human.’ As in, what else would I be? It’s just a part of who I am and it always has been. Doing art professionally, it’s fulfilling in a way that validates that experience; I am meant for this, I am capable of this, and it’s me.
What’s your favorite part of working with kids?
They always surprise you. Sometimes kids will have such big personalities or say such wild things that I can’t help but laugh. I also feel like it helps me connect with my own inner child a bit to be able to spend time with them, relate with them, and get on their level.
What is the hardest thing about being an event entertainer?
The hardest part for me is being busy when most everyone else is free, from the very nature of the job. Weekends, holidays, summers, they’re often the only time I can spend time with my friends, and I’m usually working.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to every parent planning a birthday party?
A wider variety of entertainment options (faces + balloons + glitter) will keep a small number of kids entertained for much longer, since they can quickly get bored of one thing. I like to start with faces, since everyone only has one face, and then move on to balloons so they can keep getting more and more.
What’s one thing you want every corporate event planner to know?
More artists will always help a large event go much more smoothly. Not only will having several artists speed up the line, but they can communicate and work together to both keep you in the loop and manage lots of guests.
What is the biggest factor in determining if a college event will go smoothly or not?
In my experience at college events, the event planner should be a single person in a leadership role with others to help them, even if that person is also a student. If the event planning team doesn’t have a single leader to direct things, communicate with vendors and basically call the shots, the event can quickly become chaotic.
What is your favorite activity for summer camp event entertainment and why?
I think foam parties would be an absolute blast for a summer camp, since kids can come in waves but also since nothing will get smudged (face painting, henna) or lost (balloons, caricatures.) With summer camps, kids are running around doing activities all day long, so anything they don’t have to carry or protect is best. Glitter and flash tattoos also fit this bill nicely.
Categories: Artist Spotlight