Live Wedding Painting at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington, OH
It’s almost Summer and wedding season is in full swing! As the weather gets warmer, I’m gonna go the opposite direction and share with you a story of a gorgeous Winter wedding near Columbus, Ohio. All you brides-to-be out there planning your weddings know it’s never a bad thing to be thinking a couple seasons ahead (All my 2017 dates were booked by April this year!)
So flashback to January 28…
The setting is the classic and timelessly beautiful Scioto Country Club. Located in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, OH, this upscale venue is the centerpiece of a radiant community. The club was originally founded just a little over a hundred years ago in 1916 and has quite a rich history. One of the co-founders was President George H. W. Bush’s paternal grandfather and the golf course is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country. Another fun fact, Scioto is where the greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus, learned to play in the 1950s.
Overlooking the renowned golf course is the recently renovated 80,000 sq. ft. clubhouse. Described by members as a home away from home, this venue is perfect for hosting galas, private parties and of course weddings. Wood paneled walls adorned with paintings of hunters and golfers... plaid, leather and mahogany furniture resting on thick, jewel toned rugs... sparkling chandeliers and warm, glowing fireplaces - It felt just as cozy and welcoming as it was elegant and refined.
Meet Betsy and Jack, the lovely bride and groom who hired me to paint their celebration in this picture perfect setting. Their decision to have their wedding reception at Scioto goes beyond the gorgeous clubhouse and awesome golf course though. There’s a sentimental backstory to this venue choice. 47 years ago, the bride’s mother and father had their wedding at this very same location - how special is that?!
The moment I heard the FOB mention this during his speech, I just knew I had to work it into the painting. If you look closely in the background, there’s a mirror on the wall and in the reflection, I painted a tiny portrait of the bride’s parents on their wedding day. (Thanks to Betsy for hooking me up with the perfect photo to make this possible!) You can also spot the proud parents, modern day, filled with joy as they look to the young newlyweds in the foreground. At the risk of sounding overly romantic, it really is an honor to visually capture something like this for a family and immortalize it in a work of art for future generations.
Including hidden memories and little details in my artwork is one of my favorite parts about live event painting. You never know what details might make an impact enough to end up in the finished piece, but they all come together to reignite the feeling and memory of that one specific day.
Besides the deliberately added elements, like Betsy’s mom and dad, there are always a few other tiny details that make their way into live paintings on their own. It’s funny because these seemingly insignificant details might go unnoticed the day they’re painted, yet over the years, prove to be unique indicators of a very particular time and place.
It’s those tiny details that go unrecognized until seen in the painting - the shape of a chair, the color of a family member’s dress, the particular arrangement of a place setting or centerpiece - that you might look back at down the road and say, wow, I remember that!
Speaking of details, here’s one I’d like to point out that definitely WAS noticed by everyone at this reception, the musical entertainment! I was happy to see my favorite Columbus band again, Conspiracy ! They were in the farthest corner of the room from me, but I made sure to get them in the painting :)
One last super important shout out - HUGE thank you to the talented Red Gallery Photography who was so awesome to work with and got me a ton of great photos (including several in this blog post)! I wouldn’t have been able to paint such a detailed portrait of the bride and groom without his help. (If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in the Columbus area - Check out his work here!!)
Without further ado, cheers to Betsy and Jack! Congrats again and thank you for having me there to capture your wedding day in this painting!