Live Wedding Painting at Irongate Equestrian Center in Columbus, OH

Live Wedding Painting // Irongate Equestrian Center // 36x48in acrylic on canvas // Cleveland Event Painter, Jacqueline DelBrocco — Live Wedding Painting // Irongate Equestrian Center // 36x48in acrylic on canvas // Cleveland Event Painter, Jacqueline DelBrocco

Midwest charm and timeless beauty – That’s how I would describe Irongate Equestrian Center in 5 words. Located just a half hour Northeast of Columbus, OH, this elegant and unique event destination was originally built as a private training facility for world class equestrians. Today, Irongate’s magnificent 64,000 sq. ft. barn and 105 surrounding acres are often occupied by wedding guests, as was the case on October 1st, when I arrived to create a live wedding painting for Liz and Shane.

From the moment I entered the literal gates of this impressive venue, I knew this wasn’t going to be your average wedding. The bride had chosen to go with my largest canvas, 3x4ft, and I’m really glad she did because it helped me capture the breathtaking dimension of the reception area.

The event planners at Irongate were wonderful to work with, and I was impressed by their inspired use of the space. The ceremony, cocktail hour and reception took place in a huge, gorgeous room covered by countless strands of magical white lights. They did an incredible job with the elegant décor throughout this area, but my favorite part was their creative use of the stables themselves, each with its own unique purpose (coat room, desert buffet, coffee station, wedding favor display etc.)

The viewpoint I was set up to paint allowed me to include the main reception room, the huge crowd of cheerful wedding guests, and in the center, the dance floor (which set a perfect stage for the Liz and Shane’s first dance – the moment I captured in the painting).

Some think I’m crazy for offering such a wide variety of canvas sizes. (Currently for live event paintings, I offer as small as 18x24in or as large as 36x48in). Many artists prefer to work in one size they are most comfortable with, and I have to admit it’s definitely an additional challenge painting in varying scales from one piece to the next. Maybe I have a habit of making things harder on myself, but I prefer to think of it as an affinity for challenge. Different sizes present different challenges, but they also offer different benefits. The large scale canvas chosen for this particular commission was perfect. Capturing the vast size of the reception area would not have been quite the same if this were a smaller painting.

So thank you Liz for going with the “grand-daddy of canvases”! I hope every time you and Shane look at your painting, you remember how you felt in that very moment - on the dance floor, surrounded by all your favorite people, celebrating your love :)

Also, a huge thank you to Jennifer Adams of Limelight Studios for providing me some great source images. This really helped me complete the painting in my studio, especially when it came time to paint the bride and groom's first dance portrait.