We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate Stewart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

When I was young I always thought I wanted to be an art teacher but never thought of myself as a professional artist. As I a started making decisions along the way I realized the choices I was making were leading me closer and closer to becoming a professional artist. I started painting dogs and then when I had my son I started painting families. I did some live painting competitions that I really enjoyed too. Then one day I heard about Live Wedding Painting and it really struck me as something I wanted to do. I dove right in and it has been one of the best decisions of my professional career.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have a degree in oil painting and spent some time in France studying impressionism. I love the looseness you can achieve with oil paints and consider myself to be a Contemporary Impressionist. There aren’t a ton of Live Painters who use oils as most work in acrylics or even watercolor. There is a very illustrative style that is popular in the wedding industry and I find myself one of the few impressionists. The couples who come to me love me for my style and it is often the first thing they say when I talk to them. When I approach a wedding painting, not only am I trying to capture the moment, I’m trying to create a beautiful work of art.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

If you’ve been on tiktok recently, then you’ve probably seen the rise of the “big unveiling” of paintings at weddings. I think most people focus on the couple’s joy in seeing the painting, but it is honestly so rewarding as an artist. When I paint someone’s wedding day, I know they will keep my painting forever. It is a one of a kind thing that was created for them, with no one else in mind. Seeing those two people light up seeing themselves is the best part of my day every time.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have a great story that happened to me very recently. I pre-mix most of my colors which means I always have a lot of paint living in my paint box. I take the paint box to weddings, use what I need and then pack it up and take it home with me. It is a really great part of my process, except of course if I forget my paint box at home. That’s exactly what happened to me after driving two hours from home to paint a wedding last month. I set my easel up, opened up my bag for paint, and…nothing! Fortunately, I always take my tubes with me in case I run out of something and I always build in a extra hour of prep time “just in case.” I took a deep breath and started mixing. I finished the painting on time and laughed about it on Instagram the next week. The planner chimed in and said she had no idea! It was definitely one of those moments where I was proud of myself for keeping my cool.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katestewartfineart.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/katestewartfineart

Image Credits
“Sneak Peak – Madeline and Brad’s Wedding” photo by Sthefanie Carriker “Kate Stewart at Duke Mansion” photo by Still Frame Sparrow Photography