Kamans Art Shoppes

Body Artist (Henna, Glitter Tattoos, face-Painting)

February - August 2019 • Williamsburg, VA

What I liked

A very welcoming environment for artists who are just starting to work with the public. I was very shy at first and was very much a traditional artist (Graphite drawings, Acrylic Paintings, etc.), but I adapted to Henna and Face-Painting very easily.

What I wish was different

The pay was very poor unless you managed to work on an extremely busy day, and we were not allowed to accept tips. We received minimum wage unless we made a minimum number of sales, at which point you would receive a small fraction of the money you made from sales afterwards. Unfortunately, this was difficult to achieve unless you are working on a very busy day, and are selling expensive face-paints or hennas somewhat frequently (There are different levels of work one does, ranging from small pieces to extremely expensive Henna's, but not many people buy the enormous Henna's unless they've really looked into it). I would have appreciated making more money, as we did usually make quite a bit of money on the stands, especially on busy days. Additionally, many customers appreciated when we did large pieces very nicely, but we had to reject their tips or request they donate them to the park, which was frustrating. if we were allowed to accept tips, I would have been ok with receiving the pay I did, but we could not.

Advice

Make sure that you understand opening and closing procedures, and have your phone on you. Sometimes the weather changes and you need updates, you may need a material, etc. Just make sure you can easily get into contact with your managers/supervisors. Additionally, make sure you have the numbers to contact IT easily, as the cash registers occasionally have malfunctions. It can take a while for them to be up and running sometimes, which can halt your sales. In regards to the job itself, don't be shy with customers, and be open with pricing! As you get more comfortable with your art, you can even do custom paints and pieces (as long as there's not a very long line), and this really makes customers happy and have a great experience. It's OK to go off model a bit by changing up colors on request of customers, and this generates customers who come back in the future.

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Portrait Artist

March 2018 - August 2019 • Hershey, PA

What I liked

Got to draw a lot.

What I wish was different

Management was very lacking and questionable business practices.

Advice

Make sure you are very outgoing and love to draw. Also you must draw very quickly.

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Face painter

March 2018 • Tampa, FL

What I liked

Great coworkers and supervisors. Flexible schedule.

What I wish was different

Less rain - outdoor job.

Advice

Bring ice water with you, and an umbrella.

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Operations Supervisor

March 2015 • Williamsburg, VA

What I liked

The Leadership and Management Team is very respectful and always willing to help. This job also allows you to be creative and showcase your art.

What I wish was different

I wish we had more recruits this past season

Advice

Communication is key, whether it be with fellow team members, or the leadership team.

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Caricature Artist

June 2019 • Ligonier, PA

What I liked

Working with people in a field I like

What I wish was different

I wish flat rate commission was done by day instead of by week.

Advice

Learn to do your pitches nice and loud

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Pastel Portrait Artist Supervisor

October 2013 • Sandusky, OH

What I liked

I loved drawing people and advancing my own skill work in portraiture.

What I wish was different

I wish it was a different work environment, somewhere a bit more quiet.

Advice

It is a great summer job especially if you are looking to work in the art field and interact with many other artists.

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Caricature Artist

May 2014 - July 2017 • Sandusky, OH

What I liked

A great way for young artists to learn new ways to draw. It pushes your artistic boundaries and helps your confidence to be able to sell your art. Most of my freelance confidence came from this job.

What I wish was different

The management varies each year on how good they are to their employees. The lack of air conditioning in their housing ways on all of the workers during the hot summers.

Advice

Go in for the experience. It’s better than retail by far, but the heat will get to everyone by July. This is a great team of people every year, but bring a fan for your room!

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Lead

March 2016 - August 2018 • Santa Clara, CA

What I liked

I liked all of my coworkers and it was an overall fun job where I learned a lot of skills. They also offer you quite a bit of flexibility with your schedule and are understanding of students and their schedules

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to get schedules more in advanced and to have the new coworkers stick to their schedules because a lot of people just wouldn't show up to work. Because of that I ended up being called in on my days off.

Advice

Be patient with customers and go to all of the social work events. The job is way better if you become friends with your co-workers and the amusement park can get some lousy guests so make sure not to get irritated at them or else things will escalate.

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