One part of my art business I have worked hard on growing over the last year are Live Wedding Paintings. Let me tell you how I got started, and why I love these paintings so much!
How I started doing live wedding paintings:
Well let me just say, I REFUSED to do these for a while. I always thought, how on earth would I be able to finish a wedding painting in one sitting, and the pressure to get it right before the night ended? No thank you!
I kept saying no whenever anyone inquired about this. But in May of 2022, Katie, a bride-to-be reached out saying her wedding would be in June of 2023. I was extremely hesitant to agree to do it, but I thought, well with a year until the wedding maybe I can do some practicing to get myself ready. I knew I wanted to grow my art business, and that means taking risks and embracing new opportunities.
The year leading up to my first Live Wedding Painting, I practiced from my own wedding photo, and gave myself a time limit to make sure I would be able to do it under pressure. I also studied up more on figurative sketching, I am primarily a landscape painter so painting people did not come as easy, it is something I needed to, and continue to practice!
June 2023 was my very first Live Wedding Painting, and I continued to book more and more from there! Thank you Katie for believing in me and helping me grow my skill set within my art business!
Here is a photo of that first Live Wedding Painting:
Why I LOVE Live Wedding Paintings:
After getting over that initial hesitancy to take on these projects, I started to grow this special love for these paintings. How amazing is it to be a part of a couple's day where they declare their devotion to one another, and capture that love in a painting that will live in their home for the rest of their lives. It is an honor to put that joy of the day on a canvas that reminds the couple of their love every time they glance at the painting.
My favorite part of the Live Wedding Painting process is to reveal the painting to the Bride and Groom at the end of the day. It is so satisfying to see the hard work of that day evoke a beautiful smile from the couple when they see the painting.
Thank you to all of the couples who have booked me to paint your wedding, it is incredibly special for me to do each of these projects and be a part of so many different love stories! I can't wait to do more Live Wedding Paintings in Indianapolis and beyond in the coming years, and continue to grow my skills with each painting.
If you are a Bride/Groom looking to book, or an artist looking to start offering live wedding paintings, feel free to check out this video on my YouTube channel for a day in the life of a live wedding painter.
https://youtu.be/6M9EDIq3Gew?si=83xpzRpHoceVF4nf
With Love,
Emily Winslow