July 12, 2025 - Thornton, CO
Ervin, Please Enjoy Your Customized Proposal!
LIVE GUEST PORTRAITS
Kelsey Shields Art
Congratulations and welcome in!
Let's create your vision together
WHAT IS IT?
Surprise & Delight Each Guest
Guest portraits provide not only unique entertainment for your loved ones but also a cherished keepsake. Unlike traditional party favors, these custom illustrations are never left behind—I like to imagine them displayed on fridges or even framed as a lasting memory of your special day.
Throughout the evening, I’ll create quick, gestural portraits featuring confident line work and painterly pops of watercolor. Guests who have their photos taken will be able to pick up their completed portraits before the night ends.
Having experienced over 100 live event paintings, I’ve seen firsthand how much guests love watching art come to life. Live painting adds an interactive, elegant touch to your celebration, making it even more unforgettable.
A portrait created during your wedding serves as the perfect time capsule to solidify the magic of you and your day. It manages to wrap up all of the best things in life, which happen to be the things you can't buy.
LOVE, family, experiences, feelings, JOY, precious places
MUCH MORE THAN AN ILLUSTRATION
A novel way to provide entertainment for your all time favorite people.
Custom artwork that highly resembles the people captured is likely to be a piece that is loved and admired for years to come. Imagine each portrait is framed, added to an album, adored by the younger generations, and passed
on to loved ones.
There is much excitement with guests often coming over multiple times to check on the status of their piece.
Your couple illustration captures a moment in time—the way you looked, felt, and loved. As life changes, this artwork holds that memory still.
In the moment, guests are completely enamored watching each illustration come to life. Live art adds unique entertainment and engages those who may not hit the dance floor.
Your desires are top priority.
01 A mountain backdrop
02 Minimal or maximum color
03 Specific theme
04 Selected size and add ons
05 Location for set-up and flow
ALWAYS INCLUDED
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High quality materials - watercolor paper, pens, and watercolors.
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Eco-friendly plastic sleeve to protect each piece.
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A portrait of the hosts - of course! This portrait is always 8" x 10".
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A guaranteed amount of time live painting, which doubles as guest entertainment.
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A guaranteed quantity of portraits. Each "portrait" is a finished piece of work containing 1-6 guests.
NOT INCLUDED
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Travel over 50 miles outside of Denver, CO is an additional cost for mileage and/or accommodations.
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Optional add ons
Your Travel Estimate: $0
BOOKING
GUARANTEED QUANTITY & AMOUNT OF TIME
5" x 7" PORTRAITS
20 Portraits: minimum 2 hours of live painting >> $1900
30 Portraits: minimum 3 hours >> $2850
40 Portraits: minimum 4 hours >> $3700
8" x 10" PORTRAITS
20 Portraits: minimum 3.5 hours of live painting >> $3400
30 Portraits: minimum 5 hours >> $4750
40 Portraits: minimum 6.5 hours >> $6050
Pricing is a combination of live painting entertainment and completed custom artwork.
Customize to fit your needs.
Sign Up Sheet: Ensure the correct amount of portraits are created.
Priority Guests: A list of guests whose portraits are moved to the top.
Choosing Quantity: An average portrait contains 2 people. Divide your guest count by 2 and remember, typically not every guest comes over for one.
Excess Portraits: Can be completed in the studio at a rate of $45 or $65 each.
Setup
I bring everything I need including a table, chair, linen, and lights.
If you prefer I use a table, chair, and linen that matches your event just say the word.
A Live Art Experience You Can Trust.
When you hire me for your guest portraits, you can expect a seamless, stress-free experience—no surprises, just beautiful, personalized artwork.
I first started illustrating portraits in 2019 as a Valentine’s Day offer (original design with accent circle shown to the left) and have spent years perfecting my style. By the time Live Guest Portraits became a sought-after wedding favor, I had already honed my craft, creating quick, expressive, and heartfelt illustrations.
Having drawn hundreds—if not thousands—of portraits, I bring a refined process, consistent style, recognizable illustrations, and carefully curated materials to every event.
Your guests will feel truly seen, and they’re always welcome to stop by, watch the creative process, and even chat while I paint. Thanks to my five years as an art teacher, I’ve mastered the art of creating and engaging at the same time!
From our first conversation to your wedding day, I bring professionalism, warmth, and deep experience working with a wide range of planners and venues throughout Colorado. I set up my space thoughtfully and ensure every detail aligns with what you envisioned. My commitment is simple: to exceed expectations and deliver exactly what you hoped for.
Let’s create a one-of-a-kind live art experience—one that fills your wedding with joy and leaves you smiling for years to come as you look back on your guest portraits.
ADD ONS
Detail Watercolor - starting at $250, I set up 1-2 hours early and take photos of your chosen watercolor. Great options include the venue, floral arrangement, or landscape.
Second Artist - Second artists display steady line work, expert use of art materials, accurate and quick portraiture, and show professionalism. Second Artists are compensated according to their set rate and have as much buy in to go above and beyond for your event as I do. Let's build a power team! Ideal for events with 120 or more guests.
Mats & Frames - starting at $2 and $15, respectively. Let's find the perfect pieces to enhance your aesthetic.
Vintage Stamp - $45. Ink pad and handmade stamp containing your chosen information.
Studio Painting - Beginning at $900, popular options are drone shots, floral arrangements, ceremony or a first dance.
Seeking more information about these offers?
Please email me sharing details and specific interests. I will add everything right here on your proposal page.
TAILORED TO YOU
Unique & Bespoke Artwork
Bring any idea to the table!
Paintings can be created on canvas or paper, with acrylic paint, watercolor, pen, or drawing materials such as pencil, charcoal, oil pastel.
If you have a vision for your wedding artwork that is not specifically laid out in this guide, please share it with me! Chances are good I have already tried it, and if not, I love a new challenge.
For example, I have a bride who will be receiving 25 vignette illustrations from her wedding that I will draw on a large roll of paper. Each drawing will be highly gestural with pops of acrylic paint and created from photos I take throughout the night.
This idea combines my live painting service with my guest portrait service beautifully!
PROCESS
01 Let's connect via phone or zoom to talk through
your vision for adding live art to your day,
questions you have, and see if this is a good fit.
02 A contract and invoice secure your date. The
initial deposit is $1000.
03 Three months prior to your date, I'll begin
collecting all final details and go over logistics
with your planner and/or venue.
04 Final payment is due one month before your
wedding.
05 It is officially time for a live art experience!
Let's celebrate you!
IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS?
Connect on a call.
Let's talk through your vision for guest illustrations, go over questions you might have, and see if this is a good fit!
Please email me in our thread to find a time that works for both of us. Your fiancé and/or planner are welcome to attend.
"Kelsey was fantastic. Her live guest portraits were such a hit for a 60th birthday party, everyone was absolutely obsessed and they turned out perfect! We even threw her a curveball when we all realized our all white clothing theme meant VERY minimal paint color… she still knocked it out of the park! Highly recommend for any event as an incredibly personal touch for guests to take home and talk about forever. Love!"
-Maggie
"Kelsey painted our ceremony in addition to guest portraits for our wedding and everything turned out incredibly beautiful! Great to work with, very kind and ridiculously talented. Her work is one of our favorite details about our wedding that added a touch of elegance and beautiful artwork we will have forever!"
-Ashley
"You exceeded every expectation!"
-Afton
"Our guests absolutely adored the portraits, and the final product of the scenery where we got married is just stunning. Kelsey was so kind, very communicative throughout the planning process, and made everything work seamlessly. Highly recommend!"
-Tareyn
"We get so excited when we visit family houses and see their guest portraits framed and on display!"
-Ashley
I can't say enough wonderful things! We were in absolute awe of her talent and how hard she worked to create our painting. She took care at every point to make sure the painting was what we wanted and incorporated every detail -and more! Highly recommend."
-Lauren
F
A
Q
S
Where did you learn to draw figures?
I studied Art Education at Penn State University. While getting my degree, I took a variety of studio courses focused on drawing and painting figures. I then went on to teach art for five years. Teaching tapped into my ability to draw quickly, create almost anything (children request help drawing an extremely wide variety of things), and talk while creating. I love talking with guests while I draw and it is not a distraction! I have continued practicing my figure drawing skills during open studio hours in Boulder.
When did you start live painting?
In 2016, a friend from art school asked me if I would paint her wedding. That was the start of an unexpected journey into live painting. I really began offering live painting as a service in 2019 and paint approximately 20 events each year.
Do you travel out of Colorado?
I generally stay in Colorado. I haven't felt a particular need to travel and I love staying close to home to be with our two-year-old. That being said, this is not a hard and fast rule and I have traveled out of state to paint.
Do you combine live painting with guest portraits during the same event? Yes! I have done a few events that involve both a canvas painting of a specific scene as well as portraits for guests. There are so many unique ways to make this happen. For example, guest portraits can be added to the welcome party and a live painting can be made of the ceremony.
Will you create portraits for my guests from any reference photo?
I am there for them to remember your event! So no :)
However, I am always happy to discuss commission options with them in order to capture their engagement, family photo session, etc.
When do you suggest hiring a second artist?
Depending on your event specifics, it might make more sense to hire two artists in order to split up the number of portraits. Guest count, event timing, and the amount of detail you want captured should all be taken into consideration. Let's definitely talk through this! I care immensely about compensating second artists what they deserve and I'd be happy to share more about my philosophy behind this.
I have a different idea for an add on. Can we make it work?
I love collaborating and hearing about your vision for your live art experience! If you have a different idea for something that might be a great addition to the service, please share with me and we can talk through whether or not it is a possibility.
What type of materials do you use? What is the quality like?
As with all artwork, the materials greatly affect the final product. I work with high quality watercolor paper and ink pens that do not run. I use highly saturated watercolors balanced with natural pigment watercolors that offer a more earthy, textured appearance.
When you are not painting events, what do you enjoy creating?
I find most of my inspiration for painting from the beautiful landscapes around me. I moved to Colorado from the East Coast and can't express how much I enjoy my time spent in nature. My work is an attempt to capture the feeling of being a small person in a vast landscape. I also enjoy painting wildlife such as moose, bison, and wild horses. I have done a handful of live paintings that feature only the landscape. If you are interested in having a plein air landscape captured at your event, I am more than happy to accommodate.
I do offer a discount for nurses, teachers, and military.
As a former teacher, married to a teacher, this is very important to me!
Can you guarantee each guest will get a portrait?
I can guarantee that the number of portraits you purchase will be created at your event. Each quantity also has a guaranteed amount of time live painting - AKA entertainment for your guests!
You can request I add a sign up sheet, which is helpful in curbing expectations. When the selected quantity is full, guests can sign up in case there is extra time to complete theirs. I will always do my best to complete extra portraits if I have time remaining.
What about guests who had their photo taken, but they were beyond the selected quantity of portraits?
I'll keep these photos and send them to you after the event. If you would like some (or all) of them created at a rate of $45 per portrait in the studio, we can do that. I'll ship portraits directly to guests for a rate of $7 each or I can ship the bunch to you for $10 total.
Do you expect a tip?
I do not expect gratuity! If you believe your live art experience was above and beyond, tips are welcome. I have priced my services appropriately.
