Face art

The little girl with burn scars in the shape of a heart and rainbow on her cheek told the story best for Donna Sternickle. The scars weren't from a fire. They weren't from an oven or a cigarette or any other burn-causing source that might immediately come to mind.

The scars were from face paint.

"I've been doing this since 1994, and I've never bumped in to anyone else using the right product," said Sternickle, who lives in Jackson and operates a face painting/balloon decorating/clown business called Alotta Fun 4U2.

Sternickle said many people who do not face paint on a regular basis -- such as setting up at a fund-raiser to help make money -- use acrylic or other paint products that are not designed for skin.

"If it's hot outside, the paint bakes on the skin and has the potential to cause third-degree burns," she said.

In 2005, for example, Rose Art Industries Inc. voluntarily recalled some of its face painting products after complaints that more than 200 children experienced skin reactions.

In June, British supplier Pierre Farber International Limited recalled face paint products after a 9-year-old suffered a rash and swelling.

Sternickle said key phrases to look for on products are "FDA compliant" materials versus the American Scientific Testing Methods found on art paint. Check to make sure the product has a full list of ingredients -- one clue that it's FDA compliant.

Sternickle has been involved in face painting for 12 years and attends workshops around the country each year. The irony of having failed her high school art class isn't lost on her.

"This is a different type of art. It's three-dimensional," she said.

Skin is her canvas and cosmetics are her medium.

"Plus, I love kids. The biggest reward is when I show them the mirror and see that smile," Sternickle said.

Sternickle's handiwork will soon be featured in J.C. Penney coupons distributed around the country after a photo of two Cape Girardeau girls -- 7-year-old Olivia and 4-year-old Carissa Schloss -- wearing her face paint was selected from about 1,000 entries as part of the retail store's advertising campaign.

Sternickle's two daughters, 16-year-old Columbia and 13-year-old Haleigh, are also involved in the business, which caters to both children and adults.

"Our society doesn't allow us to get outside the box. You've got to be a kid at heart," Sternickle said.

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128