New Wedding Paintings

An intimate wedding at the Northwoods Resort in Big Bear, CA gave me the pleasure of driving up on a very beautiful day, with crystal blue skies and even patches of snow! The room had a nice "rustic elegance" and the wedding theme & decor tied-in perfectly with the forest setting. That's the bride's father playing the piano in the foreground, and her mother to the left of him with the video camera. I also painted a wedding "runner" (but round), which the couple stood on while exchangeing vows under the arch. More details on this wedding in the next blog...

A trip to San Antonio, Texas gave me the honor and joy of painting a wedding reception held in the historic Coates Chapel, built in the 1870's, with the most beautiful stained glass windows. It is part of the campus of the Southwest School of Art and Craft in the old, downtown section of the city.

Leonesse Cellars, a winery in Temecula, California, was the unique, festive setting for this wedding reception painting. I loved how the wedding cake was showcased on a wine barrel!

The Bell Tower in Rancho Santa Margarita was the setting for this beautiful outdoor wedding. You'd never know it was raining, and the ceremony was held under a tent. That's the beauty of a painting-- you can leave out the stuff you don't want!

Here are the photos that her photographer (Hazelnut Photography) took during the reception while I was finishing the painting:

For information on any of the venues:

Northwoods Resort, Big Bear, CA:

http://www.northwoodsresort.com/

Coates Chapel, San Antonio, TX:
http://www.swschool.org/

Leonesse Cellars, Temecula, CA:

http://www.leonessecellars.com/

Visit the bride's blog for info on the location at the Bell Tower in Rancho Santa Margarita:

http://relentlessbride.com/2009/03/booking-venue.html

She blogged about me, too! Just go to:

http://www.relentlessbride.com/

Type in my name, and you can find all the blog postings. I really appreciate the cross-promotion that blogging offers.

For information on Hazelnut Photography:

http://hazelnutphotography.com/blog/amy-jean-larry-the-wedding

Yorba Linda Wedding Reception

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of painting a wedding reception at a beautiful, exclusive spot; The East Lake Clubhouse; in Yorba Linda, California.

The entire back wall had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water.

This cake topper delighted the guests, knowing the couple waited years to get married, and were big fans of opposing hockey teams!

The tight quarters of the room required that I paint from a spot in the foyer. Here is my view under the staircase immediately outside the reception hall. Good thing it had windows!

This is what the view looked like when I arrived at 4pm to begin painting. The challenge of painting an outdoor background is the changing light. My assignment was to capture the bride and groom during their first dance.

Would they arrive soon? The sun was going down fast!

And the Christmas lights were coming on, casting a colorful reflection on the water.

"At last"! No, seriously-- that's a song!

The final outcome contained the many changing elements of the day. The bride was thrilled with the painting, and that I also captured the humorous cake topper, ever-so-subtly painting the message, "Go Ducks" into the tablecloth for the bride's team.

I love my job as a live event wedding painter! It is such a happy way for me to be an artist!

Wedding in Hawaii

Often people will ask me if I will paint from photos. This painting was done for an anniversary gift. The couple was married in Hawaii ten years ago.




She wanted to give a very special gift to her husband for their anniversary.





She gave me about 12 photos taken where they got married at sunset.






I studied the pictures for a long time, and put the scene together as I imagined it might have been, had I been there.

She is thrilled with the painting, and can't wait for their anniversary to give it to her husband.

This is from the email she sent:

"Hi Karen!

I can't even come up with the proper words to tell you how much I love the painting that you did for our upcoming 10yr anniversary! I'm so excited to give it to Mark. I drove home after meeting you just thinking how incredibly blessed that I am!

Thank you so much again! I love it!!!!"

And I am thrilled that she is thrilled!

Recent Live Event Wedding Paintings

This was painted at the beautiful Westlake Seasons Hotel, in Westlake Village last month.





I was captivated by the romantic choreography of the first dance.

Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino mountains was the setting for this wedding painting.

The incredible blues in the sky and water were perfectly complimented by the bright pink accents.

The palatial grandness of the ballroom at the Glendale Palladio gave a royal quality to this dance scene.

The swirling fog added to the mystic of the moment. The bride and groom were joined by three other couples during their first dance, as shown in the painting.

I love working as a live event artist!

For information on any of the venues:

http://www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage/weddings/

http://www.laresort.com/lars/weddings.htm

http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/palladio-glendale/a53feb76bd185e1e.html

Wedding on the Beach

A beautiful wedding on the beach in Carpinteria, CA was the subject of this live event painting.

When I arrived the chairs and minimal decorations were being set up.

Here is a closeup of the driftwood aisle decorations.

Soon the guests began to arrive and take their seats. It was a gorgeous day!

This shows the painting in progress. It was a large crowd. I had a long way to go!

The important moment for me to capture finally came-- the bride and groom exchanging their vows.

They were a lovely couple!

I finished the painting during the reception. It was a perfect summer wedding!

Summer Weddings in Dallas, TX and Carpinteria, CA

Among the places I painted this summer; were weddings at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas, Texas; and on the beach in Carpinteria, California.



The Ritz Carlton provided an exquisite venue for a wedding, a beautifully decorated ballroom bathed in pink light.




The stage included a large band, and a string quartet to serenade the newlyweds during their the first dance, all of which appeared silhouetted against the dramatic lighting.





Fabulous foral and crystal chandelier centerpieces adorned the tables.

It was a stunning scene, all the planning in place providing a most elegant celebration!

I always try to capture the best pose possible for the painting. A beautiful pair, don't you think?

For more information on the Ritz Carlton in Dallas:

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Dallas/Events/Default.htm

Next blog post:

West Coast wedding ceremony on the beach in Carpinteria, California!

Backyard Wedding in Corona, CA

I painted a beautiful wedding reception in a sprawling, lushly landscaped yard in Corona. The blues and greens were a delight to my eye, and a perfect compliment to the brick red fence surrounding the property.



As a live event painter, my first task was to quickly establish the background, leaving room in the foreground for the bride and groom to be painted during their first dance.




The wedding took place on what would later become the dance floor. Navy blue cloth-covered tables on my right, a pool in the distance, and a pond to the left, reflected the gorgeous azure sky.





I nearly lost it (emotionally) upon seeing the groom in his military dress blues, as my own Marine son's wedding is coming up in just a few weeks. One of the guests made a special toast, giving thanks for his service to our country. Oh, be still, my heart!




I enjoyed adding the bride and groom, her parents and their guests, especially the children. The kids were very interested in watching me paint, and I delighted in their excitement and curiosity. The pink flowers and accents, and the colorful clothing, really added to the life of the painting.

Once the painting was finished, the kids had fun looking for themselves in the picture.

It gives me great joy to paint such a special day, creating an everlasting memory on canvas. The bride and groom were very happy, and that made my day!