Samantha Bartko likes giving people bloody wounds, puckered scars, angry gashes, infected cuts and fresh bruises. She also likes it when she gets them herself.

In fact, she’s makes a living doing so.

Bartko is an award-winning make-up artist, who just started working with gruesome special effects this year.

She is also the owner of Face Painting by Samantha, and although she lives in Heber, Bartko travels with her suitcase of gore and paints to set up wherever she is needed.

She’s appeared at the Park Silly Sunday Market, the Newpark Concert Series and an array of corporate events.

On Halloween weekend, Bartko will be at Color Me Mine maiming people with make up at times that are yet to be determined.

Bartko stopped to talk with The Park Record about her love of art and her fascination with applied facial injuries.

“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be an artist,” Bartko said. “I first started off as a painter, but knew I couldn’t make money solely as a fine artist, so I went to International Fine Arts College in Miami, Florida, and got my degree in graphic design.”

The degree didn’t help much. She quit being a designer because of the rigidity of the profession.

“I didn’t like the petty criticisms of whether or not a yellow was too light or dark, so I didn’t really pursue it much, except when I did things for myself or for friends,” she said. “I ended up doing a bunch of odd jobs and painted murals and canvases.”

Bartko and her family moved to Utah in 2003 and relocated to Heber in 2006. A few weeks later, she attended a festival and saw someone face painting.

“I went home and did the research and bought all the products I needed and just started teaching myself,” she said. “I’ve been face painting for three years.”

Earlier this year, Bartko went back to Florida and attended the Face and Body Art International Convention, known as FABIAC in make-up artist circles, and won the 2011 Upcoming Artist Award and second place in the face-painting competition.

She also was named second of the many international face-painters that entered the Illusions magazine butterfly painting contest a few months ago.

Bartko was pleased she beat Nick Wolfe, who, along with his brother, Brian, are world-renowned make-up artists and owners of Evil Twin FX.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

When she decided to dive into Halloween special effects with prosthetics, Bartko discovered a whole new world of art and illusion.

“The point is to make it look real and convince people that it is real,” she said. “The neat thing is the fact that it doesn’t have to look perfect. There is no perfection in what a wound looks like.”

To start, Bartko applies a base and then creates a scar using a liquid called rigid collodion.

“It puckers the skin as it dries and then you add your blood, well, fake blood,” she said with a laugh. “After that, you apply some latex.”

Bartko also uses nose and scar wax to add more effect.

“You can sculpt lots of things out of the wax and pre-make the prosthetics like warts, bullet holes and gashes,” she said.

She highlights the big cuts with fake bruising she created with theatrical make up.

“A lot of make up I order online, but in some cases you can use store-bought make up, if you needed a light foundation for the skin. However, when it comes to bruising and scarring, there is special make up with the colors that you need.”

Even household items can be used to add some charm.

“I can use uncooked oatmeal to make scars and ripped toilet paper to make torn flesh,” she said. “I’ve also used aluminum foil to give a ‘Terminator’ effect. I mean there are all sorts of things you can use to make special effects.”

In addition to the make up and materials, Bartko also utilizes the Internet.

“YouTube and Google Images help me see what’s out there,” she said. “I’ll apply some make up to my face and then post it on Facebook and see what the responses I get.

“People are catching on now, but before they would ask what happened and that’s the fun,” she said. “Whether I get reaction from my Facebook posts or after I get done with people and they see themselves and go, ‘Wow!’ it’s the same for me. Those are the rewards.”

For more information about Samantha Bartko, visit www.facepaintingbysamantha.com.