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Live wedding painting commissions: what are the prices?

I get number of inquiries for live wedding painting: from Toronto to Miami and from LA to NY and even some international inquiries. The number of inquiries have gone up recently and hence I decided to share my pricing information online. If you like my work and understand my pricing, the next step will be to check on my availability for your event. If you like my work, but, are unsure about investing in my service, then read below. If price is your only concern, you are in luck: more and more artists are offering live painting and you are sure to find something that suits your budget.

First, some clarifications on what I do:

I am a fine artist and I approach live wedding paintings as commissioned work. I am not an entertainer nor a  caricaturist: if you are looking for those services or are expecting those prices, I am not your artist! My work starts with consultation, and includes regular communication with my clients as well as planners and/or venues. I also make site visits when it is feasible, to plan and prepare for my commissions. And my painting process may take anywhere from 5-7 hours depending on the size, medium, event and other factors. The work that I produce is expected to be professionally framed and displayed for years to come.

Is it worth to you?

Brides who hire me are looking for commissioned work-of-art. Wedding planning and budgeting is a complex subject, and best left to many of my talented wedding planner friends. However, from what I know: wedding budgets are spent on many items, not all of which will stay with you. Framed painting will! You may even pass on the painting to your next generation. If you are not sure, just make a list of each budget item, with cost and longevity next to those.

What are some of the unique aspects of my service?

There are many talented artists who paint live. Each artist has his/ her own unique style, process and pricing. Here is what is different about what I do:

* I offer live wedding painting in both watercolors and oils. I am one of the few artists to offer live painting in watercolors! And of course, oils are a classic medium.

* I am a full-time visual artist. My life is centered around art. My service is a legitimate business. I am dedicated to learning my craft and improving my work. I am constantly drawing and painting. If you like my work, it is the result of this dedication. I have been an artist all of my life and have been painting live professionally since 2009.

* I use artist-quality materials. This often gets overlooked! I user archival-quality supports and paints. I do not use toxic mediums or cleaners, not even odorless kind (those are still toxic!). Professionally framed and appropriately displayed planting should last for many years.

* I bring every element of fine art to my commissions: composition, drawing, value design, color scheme and brushwork. My aim is not to paint 50 chairs or 100 guests. My job is to distill the visual information in front of me, and capture the essence of that special moment on my paper or canvas.

* My process is self-contained and flexible. I do not rely on other vendors or venues for help. I carry everything I need to do my job. I can setup in a far corner and still paint what I have in mind even if the view from my vantage point if different.

* Most of my work is done from life. I use photography in some cases, but for the most part, I rely more on what I see and make my own reference sketches.

* I finish my paintings at the events. It is live painting after all, isn’t it?! If a frame is provided to me, I can even frame the finished watercolor for you (oil paintings take longer time to dry).

What about travel?

I am based out of Raleigh NC. So, for commissions outside of the Triangle area: I am no different from any other vendor you may be flying in for your event. Travel expenses may include mileage/ flights, hotel, transportation and per diem expenses. The expenses may be little or lot depending on where your event is. A painting commission in Asheville or Wilmington may cost differently from commission in Atlanta. I currently only charge for the actual travel expenses and reasonable per diem expenses, although my time investment in travel may be significant at times. All this may be worth to you, if you like my work, and are willing to look at this as investment rather than expense.

I hope this information will be helpful to you in deciding if I am the right artist for your wedding.

For my current prices, please check out the pricing page.

– Tesh Parekh

Live Wedding Painter and Fine Artist

www.TeshParekhArt.com

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