Sometimes it is very hard to plan things outdoors because you never know what the weather will bring.  Recently I was asked to paint children's faces at a kid's fun day event at my church. They had everything planned outside including a bouncy house but of course it became windy, rainy, and cold that day, so they had to move everything indoors and cancel the bouncy house. It still was a great turn out, but it would have been more fun outside if the weather was nice. 

    Another time the weather scared me was for a beach wedding.  I was looking forward to a painting a beach wedding, those are my favorite, and I woke up to a rainy day. Like pouring rain.  I was prepared and grabbed garbage bags, umbrellas and a jacket with a hood.  The back up plan was to have the wedding at the beach house where it would be covered but God is amazing.  The rained stopped right before the wedding and it turned out amazing.  It also left the sky with some amazing clouds to paint.
Sometimes we get so mad at the weather and ask, why does it always have to ruin things, but things always turn out and sometimes for the better. 

June 21st came a long and I was so excited to do my first wedding painting at the Sweet Maple Farm venue in Carney Mi.  The place is so beautiful. I have been there before but hadn't done a wedding there yet.  It rained that morning and I was scared I was going to get rained on.  I didn't have a clip-on umbrella yet so I was trying to get suggestions on how to attach a regular umbrella onto my easel.  I ended up buying some zip ties and prayed I didn't have to use them.  As I arrived at 130 PM, the rain had cleared up. The sun was out but it was 80 degrees and extremely humid causing a few other challenges for me. I had brought bug spray knowing the mosquitos were going to be bad since it was way out in the boondocks' but the bug spray didn't take care of the biting flies.   They covered my ankles, and I probably looked like I was dancing trying to get them off and paint at the same time. As the event unfolded, more challenges arose.  I painted the flowers in the wrong spot and had to redo them. I had the proportions of the Bride's head wrong and had to redo her.  The humidity kept the paint wet so my colors were mixing.  I paint with acrylics, and I am used to colors drying fast before adding to the painting. I do not know how oil painters do it.  Even though I had many challenges, I had an absolute amazing time painting at this lovely wedding.  I kept a smile on my face and kept going.  The painting ended up looking gorgeous and had a happy client in the end. 

    Ever since I was a little girl, I loved horses. I used to collect those ceramic horse statues, and I had so many, they filled my entire dresser. So, when I went to Mackinac Island for the first time. I was mesmerized by it.  Not only the fact there were horses everywhere, but it was also the overall atmosphere.  The smell of fudge, the old Victorian houses, people riding bicycles everywhere, the historic landmarks, and the mood.  If you have ever seen the movie "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymore, it's the mood of romance, love, and charm. It is historic, picturesque, quaint, timeless, refreshing, and whimsical. This is my favorite place of all time, and I have a dream that one day I will get to live there and experience it every day.  I have a dream that I will be able to paint weddings there during the summers. I have a dream that I will one day have a small studio and gift shop featuring my art.  I know this is a very big dream, but I have Faith and If I work hard, it will happen. If I believe it, it will be. If you are reading this, please share this article. I am on a search for couples getting married on Mackinac Island that would like to hire a Live Wedding painter. 

WEDDING FLASHBACK

​Meet Mikayla and Andrew......

Mikayla and Andrew's wedding kicked off my 2024 wedding season. I arrived an hour early at the stunning garden venue, eager to capture the rustic gazebo draped in the lush greenery on my canvas. Just as I began painting the background, a sudden downpour forced me to grab my easel and rush everything to the tent, my heart racing as raindrops splattered my canvas. Thankfully, the cozy shelter under the tent held its own charm, with a unique coffee bar filling the air with rich aromas and a DJ keeping the energy high. As the celebration unfolded, guests—laughing and sipping their lattes—enthusiastically added their own brushstrokes to the painting, turning it into a collective masterpiece of joy and memories. 
​

MEET HAYLIE AND JONATHAN

They hired a Live Wedding Painter to add something unique to their Wedding day! This is the experience they had. 
Haylie and Jonathan's wedding day had been a whirlwind of love, laughter, and golden sunlight filtering through the tall autumn colored trees looking over the lake. But as the evening settled into a warm glow, all eyes turned toward the corner of the reception venue where something truly magical was happening.
The Live Wedding Painter, a soft-spoken artist with a steady hand and a vision, stood before an easel, capturing a moment that Haylie and Jonathan had chosen—their first kiss after saying "I do" On the canvas, Haylie's lace gown glistened in the sunlight, Jonathan's hand cradling her cheek, and the soft blush of sunlight casting a dreamlike glow over the scene.
Guests wandered by throughout the night, mesmerized by the transformation. Some whispered their admiration, others pointed out details coming to life—the delicate folds of fabric, the glint of Jonathan's wedding band, the flickering candlelight in the background. Children watched in wonder, their little fingers itching to touch the brushes, while the bride’s grandmother nodded approvingly, murmuring, “Now this is art.”
By the time the last dance was called, the painting was nearly complete, a breathtaking reflection of a moment that had already slipped into memory. The artist turned to Haylie and Jonathan with a knowing smile, offering them the final brushstrokes.
Hand in hand, they approached the canvas, Haylie reaching first to add a soft swirl of paint to the leaves of the trees, blending the colors seamlessly. Jonathan followed, his touch steady as he deepened the color of his suit jacket. Their strokes were small, but they meant everything—a piece of their love, forever embedded in the masterpiece.
As they stepped back, the guests broke into gentle applause, and Haylie blinked away happy tears. “It’s perfect,” she whispered and they had their picture taken.
And so, with paint still drying and love lingering in the air, the canvas became more than just a painting—it became a piece of their story, captured in color, to be cherished for a lifetime.
​

    One of Alyssa and Tyler's requests for their photographer was to have golden hour photos taken by the water but by the time the sun was setting, the clouds covered the sky.  Being very disappointed in not getting their golden hour pictures, I threw out the idea of painting a sunset into their painting. As an Artist, my mind is always full of creative ideas.  
    Although the original painting turned absolutely beautiful, adding the sunset made it all the more amazing.  My values as a Live Wedding Painter is not only to create an original and unique piece of art that the newlyweds can cherish forever but I am also here to take their visions, ideas, and concepts and create magic on canvas. 

    I always say Faith Over Fear but how do we grow our Faith, so it overpowers fear? I did a study that explained 10  steps that multiply our faith and create a life of abundance. 

1. Seek God in everything you do.  The Bible tells us that we were created to build a relationship with him. If we seek him and turn to him in our personal life, marital, family, friendships, community, and work, will lead to transformation.  What spiritual practices do you engage in to grow your relationship with God? I Seek God through prayer, reading the Bible, Bible study, going to church, and meditation. 

2. Acknowledge your brokenness. Recognize that God is someone who can restore wholeness and peace to our lives. Becoming, growing, and reproducing our faith involves a continual process of acknowledging our brokenness and inviting God to save, redeem, and revive us. Where in your life, do you need restoring? 

3. Know who Jesus is. Jesus' sacrifice of dying on the cross is considered sufficient for the redemption of all humanity, but it is effective to only those who accept it into their hearts. Through Faith and repentance, we can receive God's grace.  

​4. Deciding to follow Jesus. The surrender of our flaws will be redeemed by the love of Jesus Christ. After this act of submission to God, the Bible assures us that we are born again. This experience brings us into a grace filled and redeemed relationship with God.  How would your life change if you followed Jesus?

5. Welcome the Holy Spirit. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will empower, gift, and guide us to fulfill our unique missions. Embrace your callings to serve and minister in various aspects of our lives. How does the Holy Spirit speak to you? 

6. Grow your Faith. Encompass various activities including learning more about worship and prayer or dive deeper into Bible study. The goal is to broaden and deepen your understanding of God's word and in turn your Faith will grow. 

7. Share your story. Sharing our stories can connect us with other people who have experienced similar situations and God's transformation. There are testimonies everywhere of God's amazing love. 

8. Embracing gratitude. We cultivate gratitude when we recognize that God has shown us immense love to us. What are you most grateful for right now and how does gratitude change your perspective? 

9. Sharing your Faith. In all that we do, we are moved by the compelling love of Christ to share our Faith, live out the gospel, and draw others into a loving relationship with God. 

10. Invite continuous growth. We have a calling to explore into deeper connections that will lead to a desire for a more personal relationship with God and others.  How do you invite continuous spiritual growth into your life? 

   Take these steps and practice them daily. The more you embrace God's love for us, the more you wil grow. Set goals and assess what you learn everyday.