Meet Vesna Longton of Live Event – Wedding Painting by Vesna

 

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vesna Longton.

Vesna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It was in 2006, when I came to America. Of course, I was looking for jobs on Craigslist (as many people before and after me). One of the ads that responded was about wedding painting. Live paintings were not something new for me as I am a professional artist with formal art education and we do it often, though I`d never painted weddings before. So this couple visited me to see my art. We discussed the details. They explain that lots of artists had responded and they should see them too. They left and a minute later the doorbell rang. They’d come back with the deposit check. I still remember my first wedding painting in beautiful Ocean Cliff, Newport, RI. I was very lucky that I stumbled upon that add. Very lucky to be introduced to live wedding painting. I don`t think me`d have come up with this idea by myself.

The next year I got a couple more weddings to paint and then, my daughter was born. I felt that I had to wait for the next 2-3 years until she got more independent and before I could disappear for all day and part of the night.

It took some time before I got busy with wedding paintings, but once people know what you doing, they see you in action and come back to commission to paint their second child wedding, their friends, family … And I like it. I like to recognize people, see how kids grow, see the changes. It is like you are part of the big big big family 😉

But I also see diversity, different cultures. I painted Indian weddings, Jewish, Polish, Greeks, Portuguese. I even painted ceremony of Jewish bride and Muslim groom (the picture with the rose arch)… I cried when I realized what was going on. It is a love story, that can inspire others…They both kept their religion. It is a story of not only of love between a young couple, but also of the parents to their children.

I learn things while I am there. You can see how a quiet groom balances a sparkling bride. You see couples that have been together for ten years are more likely to get married 😉 You see such a rare thing as sweet-hearts from childhood getting married. Things like that happen. Or you can ask an old lady who was married for 60+ years how she does it. She smiles… and answers “patience”. Someone has to be patient. So I learn things…

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, there was time when I didn’t know that there was plenty of work in our beautiful New England. I was taking a lot of jobs in New York, New Jersey, and Long Island. It was a lot of travel. I’d travel for 3.5-4.5 hours, then paint for 6-8 hours. Live painting, particularly working against the clock, is very energy intensive. Sometimes when driving back, I’d be afraid I wouldn’t make it home, I was so tired! So, I created safety rules. Anything over 1.5 hours of driving, I take a driver. If longer than 2 hours, I stay the night in a hotel. I want to enjoy painting and I want to keep enjoying my life.

Live event – wedding painting by Vesna – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I come to the weddings, and other events, and paint them as they take place. By the time the event is over, the painting is usually ready. My style is impressionistic realism for live painting. So the colors are vivid and lively and people in my paintings are recognizable. While I’m painting at the weddings, or events, people come to my easel, they see themselves and their friends. They point, they laugh, they enjoy watching it, and I enjoy painting. I love the colors of weddings, the lights, and the harmonious and gorgeous art of the florists, the beautiful people, the diversity, the music, and the voices sometimes you can hear! And the food 🙂 They feed you very well there, you know.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am not a proud person. Or at least I am trying not to be. There is a road of development and improvement for myself and for my art and there are others around who I can learn from. I look on my first wedding paintings and my last ones and I can see the difference. I’ve improved my technique, I can do more, but I see what I can work on. I’m still working towards my goals.

Pricing:

• The price range is between $700 for 20X16 to $1400 for 24X36

Contact Info:

• Address: 25 Hanisch rd, Attleboro,Ma 02703
• Website: www.liveevent-weddingpainting.com
• Phone: 508-809-9777
• Email: vesna_longton@yahoo.com

Image Credit:
Diane Weir ( photo with me at the easel)

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