Live Wedding Painting at Oakdene, Jeremy Batoff and Eric Goldie

Jeremy and Eric's Wedding at Oakdene, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett 

Featured in Town and Country Magazine and recounted by celebrity Carole Radziwell, this was an over the top wedding to paint.

Here is a link to Town and Country's article.  

This painting is a four dimensional depiction of their wedding day.  Meaning that this painting shows multiple scenes throughout the day knit into one piece.  Some notable scenes included in this painting are:

The Ceremony

Ceremony Excerpt from Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

Details include the musicians from Philadelphia, the chicken house and horses in the background, and their speaker, Carole Radziwell, in 6 inch heels on grass.  

It was raining and a tent had been erected over the ceremony space in preparation, so I arrived a day early and set up my easel on the edge of the tent to capture the view, then added Jeremy and Eric and the musicians and flowers from photos I took during their ceremony.  The tent was left out of the painting.

Guests Walking from the Main House to the Reception Tent 

Pre-Reception Excerpt from Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

Details include the acrobats, the champagne lady, individual guests, Jeremy and Eric with their vintage vehicle pre-ceremony.

The First Dance and Cake Cutting and Speeches

First Dance Excerpt from Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

Details include their first dance, family speeches, ladies on stilts with wings, the cake cutting, and Pippa their dog (Pippa was not actually there).

The Horah

Horah Excerpt from Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

The Tent Lit at Night under the Moon

Lit Tent Excerpt from Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

Details include the live event painter from behind.  

It is a challenge to comprehend this painting spatially because it is impossible.  The ceremony and view there is behind the Main House, and the reception tent was in front of the Main House, and inside the tent my view was the opposite direction.  The lit tent was seen from the house.  But it all works compositionally.  

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The Process:

Fortunately I live nearby, and the event planner is really wonderful and helpful, Kate Taylor, and I have painted at Oakdene many times, so I was able to visit the location a week in advance and learn the layout of the event.  Just based on my imagination, I did this sketch and showed it to the grooms before their wedding to get approval for my vision. 

pre-event sketch of Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting

Then I arrived a few days before the wedding and painted the background.  This was challenging because a giant tent was erected over the ceremony space the day before, blocking the view, and it was drizzling.  The father of the groom wisely counseled me to set up under the tent, near the front of it, so I did and it worked great.

Start of Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting, 30x40", painted by Patricia Bennett

Start of Jeremy and Eric's Wedding Painting under the Ceremony Tent

The painting as it was before the guests arrived in the reception tent:

Painting before guests arrived in the reception tent

Painting on view the next day at the Greenspring Valley Hunt Club Post Wedding Brunch

  

Rooftop 101 Constitution Avenue Wedding Painting

Rooftop 101 Constitution Avenue Wedding Painting, 24x30", Patricia Bennett

Such a spectacular wedding with a view of the United States Capitol!

Congratulations to the Bride and Groom!

Rooftop View of U.S. Capitol from 101 Constitution Avenue, photo by Patricia Bennett

 I arrived early to find the tables laid out under a great tent

tent on the rooftop of 101 Constitution Avenue, photo by Patricia Bennett

and Bianca Ndlovu of A Beyoutiful Fete Events and I worked out the best place to set up.  There were gusts of wind, so the Bianca put down the clear plastic tent flaps. 

Painting before the guests arrived for the reception, by Patricia Bennett

Dusk Rooftop View of U.S. Capitol from 101 Constitution Avenue, photo by Patricia Bennett

End of the night Live Painting by Patricia Bennett

Evening Rooftop View of U.S. Capitol from 101 Constitution Avenue, photo by Patricia Bennett

Pretty flowers at the Wedding, photo by Patricia Bennett, flowers by Floral and Bloom Designs

Roof of:
101 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Planner:
A Beyoutiful Fete Events and Design, Bianca Ndlovu (really amazing)

Band:
Bachelor Boys (great as always)

Cake:
Buttercream Bakeshop

Catering:
Charlie Palmers

Photography:
Erin Krespan

Decor:
Fabrications Events

White Glove Rentals

Social Supply Events

Florals (really beautiful):
Floral and Bloom Designs

Hair/Makeup:
Style Me Bar

Cookies and Dessert:
Vaccaros Italian Pastry

Tocqueville Society Live Painting Inner City Baltimore School

Cover of Tocqueville Society's 2018 Book featuring Live Painting by Patricia Bennett

Inset of the Tocqueville Society's 2018 Book

End of Day, Live Painting of Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School Children Playing, photo by Patricia Bennett

Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School Children Playing, painted by Patricia Bennett

The United Way of Central Maryland's Senior Vice President and Chief Principal Gifts Officer Holly Hoey called me in March 2018 to see if I'd be interested in painting children playing on the playground at one of the struggling schools in Baltimore City, a school that the United Way has been involved with, The Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School.

sketch of the playground composition, by Patricia Bennett

I was thrilled and honored to be thought of for this.  The painting of these children playing was going to be used as the cover of the book for the generous people of the Tocqueville Society, a special group of donors to the United Way of Central Maryland.

My homework was to see the playground.  The playground depicted would be at the Boys and Girls Club next to the school, as it was a very nice playground.  Natalie Dixon showed me the area in April.  I took photos and did sketches and figured out a design for the painting which fit the format of the book (the center of the painting was to be the spine of the book, so I made that a pole on the playset, and there needed to be symmetry to the activity in the painting.)


May 3, 2018 was the day.  I arrived around 9:30am and started painting.  I had an umbrella to keep off the sun.  The children arrived with their teachers and Holly from the United Way and ran and played.  It was a very hot day.  They were extremely curious about the painting and enjoyed finding themselves and their classmates in it.

Patricia Bennett painting Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School children playing, photo by Holly Hoey

Patricia Bennett with some of the Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School children depicted in the painting, photo by Holly Hoey

It was a delightful experience for me to meet these children and to be involved in a small way in the wonderful work that the United Way is doing.

Thank you to everyone at the United Way, especially Holly Hoey and Natalie Dixon.  And whoever designed the book is incredibly talented. 



United Way of Central Maryland
1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 340
Baltimore, MD 21230
Phone: 410-547-8000

Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School
300 Pontiac Ave, Brooklyn, MD  21225, United States

Boys and Girls Club
3560 3rd Street
Brooklyn, Maryland 21225

Hay-Adams Hotel Wedding and Reception Painting

On October 20, 2018, I was hired to paint a special wedding on the top floor of the Hay-Adams Hotel, located facing the White House in Washington D.C.

24x36", Wedding and Reception at the Hay-Adams Hotel, painted by Patricia Bennett

 Before I arrived I asked the Bride what she wanted captured in the painting, and she especially wanted the night view of the White House.

Live Painting at the Hay-Adams Hotel with View of White House, by Patricia Bennett

Since I arrive several hours before the wedding starts, I saw the day view, but painted it as if it was already dark.

I painted the ceremony and then the sun went down, and painted the reception for the rest of the evening, including their first dance.

Guests admired the stunning view all night.

Congratulations to the Bride and Groom!  

View of the White House from the Hay-Adams Hotel, photo by Patricia Bennett

First set-up by Patricia Bennett to get the view of the White House at the Hay-Adams Hotel

Hay-Adams Hotel hanging up candles for the Wedding that evening, photo by Patricia Bennett

Beginning of the Wedding Painting at the Hay-Adams Hotel of a night scene featuring the White House

Ceremony Musicians finding themselves in the Wedding Painting, photo by Patricia Bennett

Glowing White House at dusk, view from the Hay-Adams Hotel, photo by Patricia Bennett

Hay-Adams Hotel: https://www.hayadams.com/
address: 800 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Evergreen Museum Carriage House Bat Mitzvah Live Painting, December 17, 2016

Congratulations to the family on a beautiful Bat Mitzvah celebration!

Evergreen Museum Bat Mitzvah Live Painting, 24x36", painted by Patricia Bennett

Evergreen Museum Bat Mitzvah Live Painting, end of night, 24x36", painted by Patricia Bennett

Evergreen Museum Bat Mitzvah Live Painting, when guests arrived, 24x36", painted by Patricia Bennett

Evergreen Museum Bat Mitzvah Live Painting canvas, 24x36", to be painted by Patricia Bennett

Thank you to the staff of the Evergreen Museum, especially to Judy Moskowitz for warning me in advance about how cold the stone floor would be!

Other Vendors were:
The Select Event Group (they set up the lanterns)
Wicked Willow Florals (beautiful floral trees)
Linwoods Restaurant and Catering

Evergreen Museum Address:
4545 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21210

Thirtieth Birthday Party Live Painting at Oakdene in Baltimore County, September 10, 2016

Thirtieth Birthday Party Live Painting at Oakdene in Baltimore County, September 10, 2016, painted by Patricia Bennett

I was really thrilled to paint this, honored to be hired.  If you look closely you can see a horse on the right.

A lovely dinner with Beck n Call servers, Beck n Call is owned by Tammie Monaco, who is in the painting on the right.  And the food and wine were provided by Wit and Wisdom, who are located at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, with their Sommelier present to explain the wines and spirits.

Linens provided by Dulaney Noble's Gala Cloths, and flowers organized by Stiles Colwill, owner of Halcyon Antiques.

Process: Before the event I visited the space to determine with the host where the best place for me to set up would be.  I needed to be out of the way of the dozen servers and wanted to center the focus on the star of the event.  Centering the mantle seemed like the best option.  I chose to leave out several feet of the room so that the view outside could be seen; Oakdene has a stunning view.

After the event I placed a missing important guest on the left of the host and added their dog, Pippa.

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore Wedding and Reception Live Painting, June 4, 2016

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore Wedding and Reception Live Painting, painted by Patricia Bennett

Congratulations to the Bride and Groom and to their families!

A stunning wedding and reception at the Four Seasons Baltimore, showing the view out of the windows of the Cobalt Room.  Organized by Stephanie Bradshaw, Rachel Avera, and team.  Vendors included Flowers and Fancies and many others.

I combined the ceremony and reception into one painting, even though they took place in the Cobalt Room and the Grand Ballroom respectively.

The wedding is featured in world famous blog Style Me Pretty.