Something old, something new, something borrowed and something…. painted? Wedding traditions are changing and a local artist is ready to help capture a bridal couple’s special day via live event paintings.
Kristen Catalano Schenck was born in New Orleans and raised in St. Charles Parish. She is now raising her own family there and launched Kristen Schenck’s Nola Live Painting in 2016.
“My PawPaw was a sign painter by trade and an artist,” she said. “Art was something I was always around and something I loved from my earliest memories. I remember during my high school days, between school and gymnastics, I would draw gymnasts and other people.
She said she remembered taking her drawings to her PawPaw as he relaxed in his recliner.
“He was critical of my work offering advice and suggestions on how to improve my drawing and shading skills…although at the time I don’t think I enjoyed what I was being taught,” said Schenck laughing.
Schenck said she remembered watching in amazement as he drew cartoon characters for her.
“He created wonderful pictures in seconds that at the time took me hours to draw,” she recalls.
Her interest in art increased dramatically while attending Archbishop Chapelle High School, Schenck said.
“I had wonderful instructors who inspired me to go beyond what I thought were my limits,” she said. “At that time I was able to greatly improve my abilities with pencil and charcoal. In the years that followed, I had various jobs that had nothing to do with art, but I never never lost my desire to create and draw. I have been commissioned to draw murals for businesses in the New Orleans area, sketch t-shirt designs for other entities and I I even painted slates for the Ursuline sisters.
Live event paintings were something that Scheck said always interested her.
“I bought an easel twelve years ago for this exact reason, but I’ve never used it,” she said. “It was only a friend who heard me talk about my desire to paint live several times offered to paint her wedding. During the same week, another friend who worked for a wedding venue asked me if I wanted to paint their open house. That’s really how it all started… I painted those two events and fell in love.
Most of Scheck’s living paintings contain hidden elements, such as butterflies or other symbols honoring deceased people.
“Painting live was the most enjoyable and exciting adventure,” she said.
Scheck has painted hundreds of weddings and live events, including the Tri Centennial Gala for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She said the flexible work allows her to spend enough time with her two children.
“It allows me to really stay home with them,” she said. “When the live paintings slow down for the summer for me, it’s time to create some art to sell at the Destrehan Autumn Festival.”
The animal paintings she creates for the festival and her live event paintings have little in common except for Scheck’s affinity for them.
“I like both things, but they’re totally opposite,” she said. “It’s funny that I do this for a living because my mom always says when I was little and sat in church I drew the back of everyone’s head. .it was something that came naturally to me at a young age.”
For more information on Scheck’s art, email [email protected] or visit her Facebook page by searching Nola Live Painting by Kristen Schenck.