Im Joshua Spieker and I am a Live Wedding Artist based in beautiful Southern California, USA. I create heirloom memories on canvas, while providing creative, artistic, live entertainment throughout your wedding day celebration.
Visual Artist Joshua Spieker paints the scene of your choice, creating portrait-focused artwork throughout the wedding day ceremony and reception. The moment you say “I do,” will be commemorated in a hand-painted, personal heirloom work of art to be enjoyed for generations to come.
I really enjoy being able to make the happiest day of someone's life extra special by capturing it as a work of art. I also love figuring out how to translate my clients' personal vision for their wedding, and the emotion in the room between the couple and their closest friends and family members into a painting. I think my favorite moment in any wedding is when the couple comes up and sees their painting in progress for the first time—sometimes this isn't even until the very end of the wedding when it's nearly finished. I love seeing the look on their faces, especially when the painting is a surprise gift to someone.
How do you communicate with your clients about the look they want?
"I find it essential to have a detailed consultation with each client a month or two before the wedding, both about the logistics of my setup and the content of their painting. For example, there are a few things I absolutely can't work without, such as access to electricity so I can plug in a light. Everyone has different preferences about who and what they want captured, and if I know this ahead of time, it avoids having to make too many changes to the painting after the wedding. Some people want the dance floor to look really crowded, like a party in full swing, whereas some want to just focus on a moment like the first dance or wedding vows with all eyes on the couple. I also ask for a list of specific people to include, and if there are any special details I might not necessarily notice or choose to include on my own, like a special monogram, a guest singer in the band or the lace pattern on a bride's veil."
Good communication is key! Make sure to let me know what's important to you and you'll end up with a painting you love. Be sure to clearly communicate any specific details you might want conveyed in the painting—things like color scheme, what wedding moment you want the artist to focus on, or if there's a guest or small wedding detail you want to make sure is on the canvas. The more details you provide beforehand, the better your painting will be. Other than that, just be sure where you would like me to setup. I don't want to be too in the way of any wedding events, but I also need to make sure there is a good vantage point to paint from."
How long should you plan on having your artist at the wedding venue for?
How long should you plan on having your artist at the wedding venue for?
Most parties I paint are four to five hours long—the typical length of a wedding reception—but I've also painted many ceremonies, in which case I usually stay for the party afterward so I can keep working on the ceremony painting while guests watch. I like to arrive about four hours early if the venue permits it to paint the background, so typically I'm at a venue for 7 to 10 hours total, including setup and cleanup.
How do guests interact with the live painter?
"That's one of most fun aspects of live painting," Russo says. "It provides great entertainment for the guests, as they love seeing the different stages of the painting being developed and finding themselves on the canvas. Fascinating conversations develop around my easel each night about art, colors, life and so on."
How do guests interact with the live painter?
That's one of most fun aspects of live painting! It provides great entertainment for the guests, as they love seeing the different stages of the painting being developed and finding themselves on the canvas. Fascinating conversations develop around my easel each night about art, colors, life and so on."
