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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Crowds made up of kittens, clowns, lady bugs and other whimsical creatures and colourful characters and their parents filled the seats at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre's (NACC) inaugural Children's Festival of Silliness last weekend.

Rickie Smith had her face painted as a leopard shortly before Flyin' Bob's performance at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre Friday as part of the first night of the weekend-long Children's Festival of Silliness. Artist Taylor Rein, 16, did the artwork. - Daron Letts/NNSL photos

For an hour prior to each of the festival's three performances on Friday and Saturday, which featured guest entertainers Flyin' Bob Palmer of Saskatchewan and Pierre 'Violon Dingue' Lessard of Quebec, a team of Sir John Franklin High School students painted faces in the foyer.

Grade 12 student Romanie Wideman and Grade 11 students Danielle Pacunayen and Taylor Rein used children's cheeks, chins and foreheads as their canvas.

"Anything the kids wanted on their face we interpreted it. Whatever the kids wanted," Rein said. "It was fun to be around the little kids and to use my talent to make kids happy. I love working with kids."

By request, Rein painted puppies, flowers, snakes and flowers on the faces of children on Friday evening and twice on Saturday.

The other artists filled a similarly imaginative mix of requests. Wideman covered one child's face with a big, bright and bold dragonfly. Pacunayen created quite a few butterflies and at least one fat, orange pumpkin.

All three students got their start as face-painters last year when they did costume make-up for student actors appearing in the Sir John production of The Lion King. They learned from a book and with advice from drama teacher Landon Peters.

Rein, 16, also designed her own makeup earlier this winter for her role as the Cheshire Cat in the Yk Skating Club's production of Alice In Wonderland on ice.

Rein, who works as a beauty advisor for Merle Norman Cosmetics, wants to continue developing her face-painting skills. She hopes to share her talent at future special events in town, when asked.

After graduation, she plans to get her certification as an esthetician and attend medical school to study dermatology.

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