E & R - 9/15/2018

Painting for Elizabeth and Ramiro. Click for full post.

 
We had the immense pleasure of live painting at our friend’s wedding in September 2018. This experience is at the top of my “greatest things I’ve ever done” list, next to visiting Hawaii and meeting the love of my life, John. It was incredibly rewarding and new and… yes, stressful. Before this wedding, Marisol and I didn’t have much experience painting together in a uniform and fluid motion and we had never painted live. We were nervous, I almost chickened out (hello stage fright) and we learned a lot. Here are a few things that stood out:
 
1. We weren’t prepared for how quickly everything would happen.
2. We didn’t know exactly what our scene would look like until the entire bridal party was in place. 
3. Even though no wedding is the same, now we know what to expect for future events.  

As someone who, more often than not, prefers to work from reference, not seeing a complete scene before me added to the anxiety I was already feeling. But we snapped pictures from different angles before the guests arrived to choose the best one and then to get a rough outline of the gorgeous backdrop before everyone sat and the Bride walked in.
 
We began painting when the ceremony began and stopped once the reception was underway. We knew from the beginning that since this was our first live painting event, there was no way we would be able to finish the painting (in as much detail as we wanted) at the wedding. So, we added some hours of studio time at home and since the Bride is our friend and local, we hand delivered it once the painting was completed and coated with a protecting sealant.
 
As a lover of weddings and all things romantic, it was such a thrill to attend as more than a guest, but an artist. A live painter. Even if this is the only live painting event we ever do, I’m happy and thankful that this talent I’ve been given could allow me to experience this once. I will never take these hands of mine for granted.
 
Thank you for reading and following along.
 
Gaby