This month’s featured artist, Abigail Wilson, is a masterful artist known for her ability to capture stunning works in real time, creating paintings that showcase the talents she has meticulously honed over years.
Abigail Wilson | Live Wedding Painter
How would you describe your work?
I create paintings with an impressionistic style and a touch of realism, really bringing to life the romance and grandeur of a wedding day while capturing the bride and groom beautifully! My work is done quickly and completed at each wedding in four to six hours.
What is your favorite aspect of capturing weddings?
My favorite part about being a live wedding painter is the honor of being a part of the most important and special moment of the bride and groom’s life. I have the honor of capturing the moment they have dreamed about so they can remember it in the most unique and beautiful way for the rest of their lives. I love talking to their guests and seeing how much love and support each couple has from their loved ones!
How have you grown, personally, as an artist?
I have been a professional artist for about a decade now, and I’m in my third year of live wedding painting. I had the privilege of growing up with a father who is an artist, and he taught me most of what I know today. I also went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to get my BFA in painting. I always loved painting people, and I am fascinated with capturing beautiful colors and lighting to create the feeling of peace and love.
How do you carve out time to be creative?
I am so blessed to be a full time artist and to be able to sustain my living through art. I have many different areas of creativity that I do from live wedding paintings to my personal work of illustrations and murals. Recently, I prioritized time to create The Wedding Painter’s Masterclass for artists who want to step into this form of work. My week is filled with dreaming and creating, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Do you have a favorite story behind one of your projects, and why?
My best friend was getting married, and due to some circumstances, she wasn’t able to get bridal portraits, so I decided to paint it for her. She came over with her dress, and we took reference pictures. There wasn’t a location nearby that matched her vision for a romantic and fairytale-like scene. Think Cinderella! I improvised and painted her in a meadow filled with roses, with some ancient ruins with vines and foliage growing around it and a beautiful willow tree with the light shining behind it. I surprised her with it after her ceremony, and they thought it was perfect!
What are you working on that excites you right now?
I’m working on getting all of my paintings digitized and put on Etsy so that people can buy prints of my work! This excites me so much because my work has been sitting in closets for years, and I want the world to be able to appreciate the beautiful message behind my work and decorate their walls with the painting that speaks most of them!
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with fellow artists, especially those at the start of their careers?
I want to encourage any artist who is starting a career that it’s possible to create a sustainable living through what you’re passionate about! It takes time; it takes dedication and consistently showing up even when it feels like nothing’s happening. Share with people what you do, make posts and talk to the people who are going to be your best customers – I did it, and you can, too!
If you are interested in learning more about this month’s artist, Abigail Wilson, you can find her work online at abbysheartwork.com as well as follow her on Instagram @abbys.heartwork.weddings. Other places to find her work are on Instagram at @theweddingpaintersmasterclass, @abbysheartwork and her Etsy at AbbysHeartwork.
