Engagement Painting

I absolutely loved painting this. Anyone who knows me knows I've been a huge Swiftie since I was a teenager. I actually squealed when I saw the news that Taylor and Travis had got engaged I was so excited! My first experience of sharing my art online was actually when I painted Taylor Swift watercolour lyric art. So in many ways I would say I've grown up with Taylor. On Saturday I spent some time recreating their beautiful engagement photos as a kind of fairy tale story book image (as she deserves).

I started with a light pencil drawing of the figures but I didn't really do any pencil outlines for the surroundings -I used paint to get the different shades of pink and green (remembering to leave white space for the white flowers) and then built up the painting in layers. I think it turned out beautifully, and I hope it does the original images justice.

It made me think of the other engagement paintings I've done recently. One (below) for my best friend (also since I was a teenager who I actually did grow up with!) I painted this to send to her and her fiancé for their engagement gift.

Flo and Elliot got engaged in Svalbard under the watchful gaze of a Polar Bear warning sign! This painting was fun to do as it was during the polar night - so the entire image was very dark in the original video I used as my reference. It's fun to use different couples reference photos to recreate their special moments. I can even work off references of different bits of a room and a description rather than a photo of the proposal itself. The painting below I was commissioned to paint by one half of a recently engaged couple and I managed to use a few different photos and descriptions to get it just right. They told me about the candles and balloons and special sign they'd used to ask their fiancée to marry them!

So if you didn't get the perfect picture because you were too overwhelmed or the camera fell over or you're out of frame, don't worry! I actually think a bespoke watercolour painting is the best way to capture important treasured memories and can be even more romantic and special than a photograph. I know that the paintings I've done previously have been framed and treasured gifts. And if you have the perfect reference photo - yes please- I'd love to capture your special moment in all of it's details and glory!

Feel free to drop me a line if you'd like anything like this - I really love doing them - it's a joy to celebrate all the different stories and love.