Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianne McAlexander
Hi Dianne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I studied painting and drawing in college as a young mother. I went to work for a small T-shirt company where I illustrated artwork for the whitewater rafting industry. From there, I learned the basics for printing which lead me toward a career in graphic design. I returned to school to study graphic design when technology changed everything. My love for painting stayed with me, so I spent my time juggling the two mediums for most of my life. I continued to develop my painting skills through workshops and classes, and residencies at The Hambidge Center in the early 2000s.
Fast forward to 2019 when my daughter, Sarah Eubanks, a wedding photographer, introduced me to the concept of Live Wedding Painting. It was a fairly new trend in the Atlanta area, one that I had not heard of before. Initially, I couldn’t imagine myself painting in front of people, but it didn’t take long to see that it was a perfect match for my desire to combine all of the things I love to paint, and to indulge the hopeless romantic that is much of who I am.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Once I made the decision to give live painting a try, I was able to incorporate many of the skills and experience that I had acquired in my professional career as a graphic designer. I created a brand and a website, created an Instagram account, and started painting from wedding photos that my daughter provided from her work. This gave me inspiration and a portfolio to share until I started booking weddings. Cultivating relationships with wedding venues has been the most important thing. I am grateful to many of them who invite me regularly to their open houses where I have the opportunity to meet lots of couples who are planning their weddings.
I would say that the biggest struggle has been in refining my process and finding the most efficient material and equipment. There’s been a lot of trial and error. I’m not as young as many of the live painters out there today, so making the decision to hire an assistant a few years ago has been the best decision that I have made since I started painting at weddings. I have three young women that assist me, depending on logistics, and I love them dearly. One is my granddaughter, Alcyon Skinner, who is working towards being a wedding planner. Just working with these young women add a lovely dimension to my experience that I did not expect.
It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to present myself as a live wedding painter. I consider live wedding painting to be somewhat of a performance art, and everything that I present at a wedding, including myself, is a part of my brand. I can’t tell you how many outfits I tried then tossed out before I found a look that I am comfortable with. I admit, that is still evolving!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love painting weddings because it combines figure painting and plein air painting, and in some ways, still life. My more personal studio work would be considered more in line with magical realism, so I do think that comes through a little in these paintings. Painting live certainly has helped me hone my skills as a painter, which I can bring back in the studio with my other work. There are some differences though. For example, I typically paint with oil in my studio. I was trained in oil, and still love it! When I decided to try my hand at wedding painting, I decided to start with acrylic paint . . . admittedly, a little hesitantly. It didn’t take me long to love and enjoy using acrylic instead of oil paint.
I continue to freelance as a graphic designer, and am illustrating book covers for a new series of books by Connie Bowers. I am proud that at this stage in my life that I get to create in a multiple of ways, and to celebrate the most special day of so many couple’s lives, on their wedding day.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
When I first started painting live, there were only a few live painters in the area, but I was able to find quite a few on social media. Today, there are several live wedding painter groups on Facebook that are very helpful. There are some very fine seasoned wedding painters who are offering workshops and seminars. I find the community to be friendly and generous when it comes to sharing tips regarding live wedding painting. As for finding a mentor as an artist, I would look to other artist that you admire within and outside of the wedding industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbydiannemcalexander.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbydianne
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artfulsoul.now
Image Credits
Sarah Eubanks Photography
