Face painter Pam Swainson's Halloween weekend will see her working her magic on children and adults. We asked her to pop into our office to talk about face painting tips for Halloween.

Within a few minutes had turned her daughter Tiffany from a youthful beauty into a scary creature that you wouldn't want to run into on a dark night. Face painting seemed to come naturally to her and when asked to do something as a parent at the Mount Saint Agnes School Fair, it was face painting that she decided to do. "Back then, they only did ghosts and they had white stuff and some green stuff," she said.

Her parents owned a shop in England and told her they had lots of face painting stuff, she accepted the offer, took a course with some visiting professionals. "People started to call me up and ask if I could do parties. It then ballooned hugely all over the world and I've been down to Florida, Montreal and England for conventions, because some people are so artistic you learn from watching them."

The Alex Face Painting Studio can be purchased from the Annex. Here are some of her directions for successful face painting:

1. Sit your subject in a chair and place a towel around their shoulders.

2. Tie back long hair to keep it out of the way.

3. Before applying face paint, wipe subject's face with a moist wipe or tissue.

4. If you know a subject is prone to allergies, place a small amount of paint on the cheek to see if there is a reaction.

5. Apply light colours first with a broad brush or sponge then use smaller brushes for finer details.

6. If you're new to face painting, start out with simple designs like stars, half moons and diamond shapes.

7. To remove face paint, simply use mild soap and water.

To reach Pam Swainson ring 737-1144 or email pamswainson@hotmail.com.

Today, she will be at the WindReach Harvest Festival for the children and tonight at Harbour Front, for the wait staff.