Didi joined the Kaleido-crew as a face painter and balloon twister in 2023, and is available for events in and around Springfield MA.

Didi is not only a trained actress, but had been working as a daycare teacher since 2019. She joined Kaleidoscope with the goal of combining her love for arts and working with children, and is currently finishing her Associate’s in Early Childhood Development from Holyoke Community College.

You can invite Didi to your next event for any of the following packages:

• Face painting
• Balloon twisting
• Glitter, Flash, and Airbrush Tattoos
• Mascot visits
• Toddler party packages

Didi is also bilingual in English or Spanish, and can entertain in both languages!

Interview with Didi: Springfield MA Face Painter and Balloon Twister

Sarah S is a henna artist and face painter New Haven CT.

A former elementary and middle school art teacher with decades of experience in fine art, she’s based in Southern Connecticut and travels throughout New England for events. She began with Kaleidoscope in 2023 as a face painter, balloon twister, UV face/body painter, henna artist, and paint night instructor.

In her personal art, Sarah explores and plays in many artistic mediums and modalities, from painting to sculpture, photography, gardening, metalsmithing, installation art, and teaching. Forever a student of the creative process, her style reflects her deep connection to intuitive art creation.

Also a yoga instructor and former art teacher, Sarah finds harmony between her yoga & meditation practice and her art practice. Sarah is inspired by the beauty of this amazing planet, the wisdom and resiliency of the human body and spirit, ecofeminism, and the mysteries of the Cosmos.

Interview with Sarah: Henna Artist & Face Painter New Haven

When did you know you wanted to be a professional artist? How did you become a professional face painter and henna artist?

I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I was encouraged from a young age to follow my heart and pursue it as a path, which I’m really thankful for.

In 2023 I saw an opportunity to learn face painting which I was really excited about, and from there I began expanding my skills in party entertainment to include henna, balloon twisting, and a few other things.

You also do balloon twisting. What do you like more: balloon twisting or face painting New Haven? Why?

Painting is one of my favorite things to do. I loooove anything paint-related, and face painting helps me build my painting skills in a new way since it’s so technically distinct from other types of painting. It’s also an amazing feeling to bring joy to the faces of our clients!

What do you like most being a CT henna artist?

There are history and mystique around henna which I like feeling connected to. It also feels like serendipity because, as a fine artist, I’ve enjoyed drawing henna-inspired designs for years before I was trained as a henna artist for parties. I think it’s amazing how these designs can be applied to skin and look beautiful!

I’m also a plant and nature enthusiast, and since henna paste is made from the henna plant, I delight in the intersection of art and nature. A lot of my personal art work incorporates nature, so it feels very personal to gift party guests henna tattoos as part of my work here.

What is your favorite part of the job?

It’s important to me to feel empowered and energized in a job, and with Kaleidoscope I do! It feels amazing and fulfilling to share with people something I love doing! 

What is the hardest part of the job?

I love to travel, but sometimes driving long distances in one day can be challenging.

Also, I’m consistently learning new skills outside of my comfort zone— sometimes it takes time for the confidence to show up in the learning process.

What is one party you’ll never forget?

A glitter looks face painting event in NYC at the Plaza Hotel for a private museum gala 🙂 it was a really elegant event and it was fun to entertain guests in such a beautiful and glamorous party!

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!

Reviews for Jenni

Interview with Jenni: West Hartford CT Caricature Artist and Balloon Twister

When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope? 

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.