Today we’d like to introduce you to Oliviah.
Hi Oliviah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve loved drawing and painting my whole life. I remember when my mom would thumbtack paper to the wall and have me paint. When I was maybe sixteen or so, I found out about “Live Event Painting”. I absolutely loved the idea of becoming a live painter, but I didn’t want to jump straight into doing weddings, quinceaneras,etc. So, my mom and I thought of doing pop up markets and I paint guest portraits. Then, for my eighteenth birthday my parents got me a canopy, a 6ft table, shelves, and biggest of all, a storage unit that I converted into an art studio! A few months later, we found Sundays at the Square with Juntos San Antonio and I absolutely loved the vibe. So, my first market was on February 23rd and I’ve been doing this for almost 2 months now. I absolutely love it, I’ve done about 7 markets, done 2 commissions, and I booked a small birthday party! I’m so excited to continue and to grow into a professional live event painter.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, having only started about 2 months ago, there hasn’t been anything particularly difficult. I would love to grow my skill level such as painting my guest portraits faster. I feel like I take a bit too long on each portrait as of right now. It takes me about 20mins for each portrait and that includes the background plus the amount of people in the photo. So, my goal is to become more efficient.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a self-taught acrylic artist. Currently, I do live guest portraits at pop up markets. What that means is I take a picture of the guest(s) plus the background they want and about twenty mins later I have it painted on a 4×6 in a cartoonist style. It’s nothing fancy, just something to remember their time at the market.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family will forever be my biggest supporters. My parents got me all the tools I needed to start. They’re always at every market I do and always ready to help me. My mom is my assistant so she always helps me set up my booth, talk to customers while I’m painting, and take down my booth. She owns her shop Cup Stuff and Catering where she displays my hand painted greeting cards and kids jewelry. She also had me paint a mural on the window shutters and the inside of the building.
I’m also incredibly thankful for everyone who supports my artwork whether they make a purchase from me or follow my social media. Plus all the incredible fellow vendors that have had me paint their booths! Those are my favorite paintings to do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviahroseart/profilecard/?igsh=MXV4dDdpdnZyODkxaw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16AhSzBwfv/
