Lakeside Live Painting

Blog #1

This is the start of our weekly blog! For a while now, Jaison and I have been trying to find ways to present ourselves online authentically without being tied to our stupid phones all the time. We want our couples and clients to know who we are, but we also want to live our life in the moment, goshdarnit :]

We don't fit in with the fast-paced nature that is social media these days. Blogging is slower and intentional.. way more our speed.

In our line of work, the lines between art and life are blurred. As traveling artists.. every trip, every painting, and every couple energizes us. It's all potential ideas for our paintings. Documenting and writing down our travels and experiences in blog form inspires us and gives you some insight into our world and creative process! Win, win.

This past Saturday was my first live portrait this year for Olivia and Jerry's wedding at The Lake House Inn in Perkasie, Pa. You don't have to be a Birds fan to get married there, but I'm noticing a trend.

I drove 5 hours and stayed 2 nights in a cute cottage in New Hope, Pa. Staying two nights is crucial when the venue is a far drive from our studio. Painting a full day can be physically and mentally exhausting. It's best if we are close to your venue the night before your wedding and feeling rested for your big day.

We always try to add a bit of whimsy to our trips by turning it into a little vaca. For this particular trip, New Hope was about an hour out of my way but I've always wanted to visit. It's a busy, artsy town and home to one of our favorite bands, Ween. :) So naturally, my first pit stop was Ween's ‘headquarters,’ a vintage, punk clothing store, called 'God Save The Qweens.' The owner wants the store to stay somewhat mysterious & only lets 1 person in at a time...so I won't divulge anything else. I just implore anyone who loves music (and great taste in boots) to go visit. There are also so many cute restaurants in town (I loaded up on carbs for lunch- I can never have enough garlic bread, lol). Thank God I keep mints in my easel.

Wedding time! I arrived about 2 hours before Jerry and Olivia's ceremony to set-up my easel. I took my time taking photos of the lake and sketching ideas for the composition. There was a slight chill in the air, but the clouds and the colors in the sky were every painters dream. There were a few sailboats in the distance as well so yea... I will definitely be adding one or two to the painting.

For a portrait painting, I would normally get photos with the couple before or after the ceremony, but I was lucky enough to get the perfect photo of the couple right as they were walking back down the aisle after their I dos. The way they looked at each other with knowing, heartfelt smiles- that was the moment I had to paint, hands down. My favorite part of any wedding is the ceremony. We really get an intimate perspective of the couple and their love which directly effects their painting.

Olivia and Jerry have known each other since 5th grade! When college came knocking, Like many young couples do, they went their seperate ways for a bit. They went to college, traveled, achieved their goals, lived their lives, but ultimately, they made their way back home to each other. They attended their 10th high school reunion together as a couple :D Now their married!

I can't wait to keep working on this painting. I was really happy with my progress by the end of the night. I had some lively conversations with guests during the reception and honestly, a few of them gave me some really great feedback. A few family members even added a few brush strokes :)

Shout out to the staff at The Lake House Inn. They have their shit 👏together👏

Congrats to Jerry & Olivia!

Artist: Stephanie Cassidy Schafer

Venue: The Lake House Inn

10 Reasons to Hire Live Painting PGH for Your Wedding

1.      You LOVE art. If you are an art lover like us, inviting a live painter to paint at your wedding is just a bonus. After your wedding, you will have original art to hang in your home! Our paintings make great conversation pieces. Not many people even know what a live painter is (unless you’re on tiktok). Everyone is generally fascinated with the idea and our paintings!

2.      You’re looking for the perfect wedding gift. Well, you found it. We’re biased, but we’ve seen the happy tears too many times… we have the proof!  Gifting a painting to a loved one is as special as it gets. It’s thoughtful, meaningful, and makes everyone so happy!

3.      You need that extra something at your wedding. We are great entertainment for your guests! Everyone loves to see the progress of the painting throughout the night. As we paint your wedding day, we are mingling and letting people paint. Flower girls are always the first to ask if they can paint. 😊 If you watch closely, you may even see Jaison juggle his paint brushes. He’s got tricks.

4.      Investing in art is an experience! We work together to create your painting that you will have forever. It’s our mission to really understand your vision. Apart from our painting style, you have creative control (that’s if you want it). Some couples leave the decision making up to us, which is fun too! Do you have a specific vision in mind or do you want to be surprised? Both are great!

5.      We’re vessels for your wedding day. We essentially absorb the energy of the day and transfer it onto the canvas. We take in everything from the mood to the décor. You get to see one of the best days of your life through the eyes of an artist!

6.      You’re supporting local artists! ..and their two cats. While being an artist can be a rewarding lifestyle, it is not an easy one. It’s constant work. So we are extremely grateful for all of our couples that help us keep and maintain our livelihood!

7.      Our paintings are family heirlooms! I know if our parents had a painting of their wedding, we would cherish it forever and hang it in our home. It would be so cool to pass your painting down to family so they can always be in the presence of your love story.

8.      You will have a constant reminder of your wedding day. You will see your painting every day. So when life throws you a particularly hard day, you will be reminded of what’s truly important. 😊  

9.      Our booking process is pretty low maintenance. We put a lot of thought into everything so the process is easy and fun! Once we have a strong idea of your vision for the painting, we take care of the rest. We are often hired as a surprise because of this very reason. On wedding day, it takes us just 5 minutes to set up and we’re ready to paint!

10.  Our style is the best of both worlds.  Our work is a dance between impressionism and realism. With every painting, we strive to not only capture the literal details of the scene, but also convey the unseen energy of the moment with our unique artistic style and expressive brushwork. In other words, we would rather paint the flying spirit of the bird than its feathers (this is a quote by Robert Henri, an artist and teacher that we admire with every fiber of our being).

Live Painting In A Nutshell

Hello! We are Jaison and Stephanie, the artists and owners of Live Painting PGH. We have been professionally bringing fine art and live wedding painting to PA and beyond since 2015. Painting is our passion, so for us, every wedding is a chance to create something truly special! Live painting is a genuinely unique addition to your reception.  The finished work of fine art will become a family heirloom to be passed down for generations!

We offer three main packages (Ceremony, Portrait, or First Dance). We even offer different “levels” for each package if you would like to upgrade to a larger canvas, larger or more ornate frame, or add more detail in your painting. Each package has its own charm and allows you to choose what moment you would like us to capture. All packages includes a hand-stretched canvas, the finest paints, live painting during your wedding plus 1 – 3 months extra painting time in our studio, varnishing, frame, and prints of your painting. Upgrade your package to include even more. Don’t quite see the package that you’re looking for? We can customize one for you.

We start from scratch by hand stretching and preparing the canvas ourselves. We use the finest paints and materials to create a fully finished work of fine art of the highest quality. Each package that we offer is a little different, but we typically arrive early to set up and start planning the composition of the painting in the reception area. We bring out the brushes and paints around the time guests arrive so they can see the process and enjoy watching the progress throughout the evening. Guests always enjoy watching and we welcome them to talk with us as we paint. We typically paint live for 5 – 6 hours on the wedding day, capturing as much of the feeling, mood, and detail as we possibly can.

To some, the painting may look finished, but we have much more in store.  After the wedding, it is back to our studio where we spend a lot of time and energy to make sure your painting is just right and has the perfect balance, likeness, flow, and harmony.

After graduating from college for fine art (Jaison went to the University of Pittsburgh and Stephanie went to Edinboro University), we began to focus our energies on portraiture and live painting at weddings. We love many styles of art, but we would compare our painting style to impressionism. The beloved master painters like Monet, Sargent, Rembrandt, and Manet all painted in the impressionist style, capturing all the important details and likenesses while still preserving the energy, feeling, and mood of the subject. It is the best of both worlds. Our goal for each painting is to capture what is felt as well as what is seen. This is no easy task, which is why every live painting comes back to our studio for 4 – 12 weeks so we can continue the painting process and develop the painting into a true work of fine art.

Every painting starts from a blank canvas and is truly one of a kind. It does not get much more unique than that! You choose the moment from your wedding day (first dance, the ceremony, portrait, etc.) for us to capture live on canvas during your reception.  A painting of your wedding day can memorialize the moments shared and the love that was felt. A painting is something you will cherish forever and smile at every time you see it hanging in your home.

Visit our studio in the charming town of Saxonburg, Pa to see what we are currently working on. We are also more than happy to have an in-person or phone consultation with you to discuss your painting.

The joys (and perils) of Plein Air painting

Our newest adventure has been taking our studio outdoors, Plein-Air style! This is a big leap and a fresh start for us because Jaison is finally recovering from Lyme Disease. We have honestly been hermit crabs for the past few years just trying to get back to normal.  (Please write us if you are battling Lyme. We would love to help!)

Painting Plein Air has been a challenge that we’ve been very excited about for a long time. It’s a way of better understanding atmosphere and light in nature and it’s an excellent opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise. (It’s also kind of like a date for us!) It’s also an Adrenaline Rush! The pressure to capture nature in real time is so strong that it cancels all the voices of doubt or laziness that might otherwise prevent us from working.

Working outdoors does however come with a number of unique challenges.. ex: your whole easel falling over from wind, sun in your eyes, cold weather, dirt/bugs in the paint.. Because of these challenges, it is so important to have a set-up that works for you! Everything we take with us can fit into our Backpacks for easy travel. Here are some materials that we strongly recommend for your own set-up!

ITEMS & RECOMMENDED BRANDS

• Backpack ~ Any backpack will do.. with lots of pockets!

• Foldable chair ~ OPLIY Camping Stool

• Portable easel or Pochade Box ~ Sienna Pochade Box or simply a cigar box

• Tripod ~ STURDY TIGER 56” Professional Camera Tripod

• Palette ~ Masterson Sta-wet Palette

• Panels ~ Hardboard Panels (any size)

• Wet Panel Carrier ~ PanelPak

• Chalk ~ White chalk for sketch on Panel

• Brushes ~ Long Bristle Flats #8, #12, Rigor Brush

• Limited paint palette ~ Trans Red, Titanium white, cad yellow light, yellow ochre, pyrrole red, burnt umber, ultramarine blue

• Rags ~ Cotton rags

• Cup for water ~ Container with lid

• Artist View Finder ~ View Catcher

How do you know when a painting is finished?

A lot of people ask us this question…. A lot. Every artist has a studio full of unfinished paintings. Paintings often become forgotten there, but on the bright side, it’s fun for us when we rediscover them later.

A painting could go on forever if you have zero intention for the piece. Happy accidents do occur once in a blue moon, but with no plan in mind it’s more than likely you’ll just paint on and on, never knowing when to stop. Usually you’re left with something that is overworked, muddy, & expressionless. Knowing your intentions, understanding your subject, respecting the process, and committing time to practice your art will result in a larger pile of finished paintings and more room in your studio!

We could tell you that we stop painting when we are happy to look at all parts of the painting and there is no little voice telling us to fix something, but it’s more than that. A painting should be more than a great composition or a perfect value or color study. A painting goes through many finales before we consider it finished. Knowing when your work is finished can be a very intuitive and personal process, which can often entail a certain level of anxiety.

For us, a work of art can stand on its own when it encompasses both elements of structure and expression or chaos and control.  When the balance is just right, a painting can take on a life of its own and let you know when it’s finished. Sometimes, it’s like magic.

Our biggest hope is to create an emotional connection between the painting and the viewer. A finished work of art should change the way you feel and stick with you.