January 13th, 2020

What I love about painting weddings...

Honestly? What don't I love about painting weddings! Okay, so maybe taking until Tuesday to recover from intense weekends can sometimes be daunting but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it. It just means I have to adapt my schedule.

1. It's literally the *perfect* thing for me. It fits my quirks. It fits around my husbands' schedule. It accommodates my ADHD (ugh, I dislike calling it a "disorder". We need a better term.) The late hours fit my natural night-owl sleep cycle. And what a coincidence, I've been trying to perfect people and roses as far back as I can remember! Also what a coincidence, I spent a significant amount of my formative years bouncing around between divorced parents who unwittingly put me in a lot of unique situations that my stable-familied peers were not privy to. Let's just say spending my time in a party atmosphere is a comfort zone, not a distraction zone.

2. I get to throw out the "art rules". I really was pushed by people to pursue art, but was a surprisngly poor and annoying art student. I was rebellious. I disliked using straight edges and grids and rules of lighting and composure. I love diving in with little planning and not paying attention to just one single light source. (Weddings have a crazy amount of light sources! Its a dream come true!) I love imagining leading perspective lines like swirling music staffs and the floral arrangments like the drum bass and the candle lights like a crescendo and the couple the climax of a visual song. All things that using a ruler tends to prohibit.

3. I love the permission to be extra. Not only the permission, but the *encouragement* to be extra. Once I was invited to a NYE party and wore a full length satin skirt, a velvet off the shoulder top, and super sparkly jewelry. It was a house party that was not accomodating to that attire. The moment I walked in, one of the girls laughed at me. Obviously I learned that was not my crowd, but that was the only crowd I had ever known so I assumed I was just too much. Turns out I am a perfect fit for weddings in West Bloomfield, lol. Needless to say, I am off the charts grateful that I am now hanging out with people who are unphased by my chrome nails and heavy eyeshadow oe over the top costume jewelry. (Thank you.)

4. It's fine that my baroque/impressionist/experimental painting style grows and shifts and that no one complains about my corner-squeezing obsession for a foreground detail. On the contrary, my tendency to bring something into the foreground, albiet sometimes in a disproportionate fashion has been requested. I've always done it even though in one of my school art shows I was docked points for it. I won audience choice, though.

5. I really REALLY enjoy experiencing other cultures and groups of people and weddings are a great place to do since I am not in the position to travel for fun. I had no clue just how diverse my own backyard is and through weddings I get to have a taste of all the different backgrounds of people who have ended up here from all different parts of the world! Its truly wonderful to experience on the intimate level that celebrations such as weddings offer.

6. I get to use my art for something truly special. I was hired for my first "art gig" at 10 when I designed posters for an event at my dads' work. I was never one to create works to show; I created works for personal therapy, for gifts, and for income. Painting weddings is an ideal trifecta that encompasses all 3.


As long as my shoulder holds up I don't see myself stopping any time soon. According to my physical therapist I may need to slow down eventually, lol but he didn't advise against learning to paint with my other hand so I will figure out a way ;)


Thanks for reading!
<3 Trish