From Spiderman and unicorn face painting at birthday parties, a local artist’s canvas has grown to encompass the entire body.
Armstrong’s Christine Turpin of Creative Works recently returned from competing at Fabaic in Orlando. Although she didn’t place at the competition, she did brush up on and learn some new skills.
“I was pretty stoked,” said Turpin, who competed in face painting, as well as body painting. “It was my first competition.”
She transformed a live model into a superhero one day and then added her own creative work with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe theme.
“She’s from head to toe,” said Turpin, who even made a head dress and had the model wear special contacts. “She had these crazy long nails so she looked like an evil witch.”
“I went two years ago and watched it all happen and seen everybody competing,” said Turpin, who met a couple friends at the convention and tried body painting. From that experience she was determined to return and compete in the event which takes place only every two years and is limited.
“They only allow 25 people.”
Some may recognize Turpin from farmers markets up and down the valley (Vernon, Penticton, Kelowna and Salmon Arm), birthday parties and other events. She’s also been proving popular with air brush tattoos at dry grads.
“I did VSS (recently) and even the parents got in on it at the end.”
The wife and mother of two first picked up her paintbrush in 2010.
“Most people start with canvas but I started with face painting,” she said, adding that her first event was Mother’s Day at Caravan Farm Theatre.
She hopes that her story will inspire others to take a chance on their dreams.
“I want to encourage other kids who don’t know what to do to pick up something they’re interested in - you never know how it will turn out.”
