Live portraits at a private birthday party
After my first live painting event at the Plant Market in Hoorn, I was ready to try my hand at a private event. It would be quite different — instead of the general public walking by, sometimes stopping to take a look, at a private event, guests can really come up close. It's the same group of people, mingling, socialising, and after a while, they don't even see you anymore and you fade into the background as part of the quiet entertainment. But the initial encounter, when people stare at you wondering what the heck it is you're up to, that can be disconcerting!
I was invited to paint at a birthday party in Wognum, in North-Holland. It was a private party with about 50 guests of both adults and children.
They provided me with a little table, enough for my painting necessities, and placed me in a central location, out of the main walking route. This way, everyone who walked in could see what I was doing, but I wasn't in the way of anyone. A few guests stopped by to take a look and chat, which was nice.
That evening, I had three guests who asked to be painted. All three were children, which was really sweet.
She wanted to be portrayed carrying her favourite toy.
At the end, when the kids saw their portraits, they were so thrilled! Their parents loved having little keepsakes of their time at the party and told me they would be framing them immediately.
Being able to paint live and speak with the people I paint is what makes this so wonderful for me.
I’m available for live portrait painting at private events, celebrations and gatherings. If you’re curious whether it could work for your event, feel free to get in touch!