Join us as we go behind the scenes with local live event artist, Jaqueline Bissett Jacqueline Bissett is a live event illustrator with more than 17 years’ experience in this field and 30-plus years under her belt working as a freelance fashion illustrator. She is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of live event portraits with her first commission undertaken at Selfridges, London, for Bourjois Paris. We chatted to Jacqueline to find out more about what she can bring to your wedding day and what you can expect from a live event artist, as she addresses some of her top FAQs. How can we make sure all our guests who want one get a portrait and no one is left out? I can do as many extras as you’d like, if anyone missed out, by photographing them and painting them after the big day. Some couples like to have all their guests painted, while others are happy with a few of the main wedding party. The charge is £50 per couple, which is a discounted add-on price, as these are normally £80 per couple. The bride and groom tend to pay for these extras, but sometimes individuals will arrange this with me if they’re super-keen to be painted! Do you paint the wedding ceremony as a scene as well as individual guest portraits? Yes, I offer this at a separate charge. Usually A4 or A3 size (£400-£500 depending on size or amount of detail), I allow three hours and complete the painting for you on the day. Alternatively, I can also be booked for a scene and portraits. In this case, I’ll usually start with the scene and paint enough to give an idea of how it will look, then complete the work in my studio before posting the final artwork the following week, ensuring I don’t rush anything. Do you need an assistant? When I work a full eight-hour day, I prefer to bring my assistant, Andie, who is great at chatting to guests, taking names and their photos so I can stand at my easel and focus solely on painting. She can also change my paint water and clean paint palettes so I can continue working. The cost of my assistant is £120 per day. We work well as a team and having Andie around means I can often save enough time to paint up to 10 more guests. What will you wear? I can tie in with your theme and palette, which looks great in photos. If you choose not to specify, I’ll wear something venue appropriate. For example, if I’m painting at a stately home, I’ll usually wear a long dress or sometimes smart black trousers and a waistcoat. What do you like most about painting at weddings? I love meeting people and painting the most flattering version of them. As I was trained as a fashion illustrator, my style is simple and stylish, so I just pick out the best lines. This way, the painting will have a good likeness but those who don’t like their photos being taken are often pleasantly surprised and pay me the best compliment I can receive: “I’ll hang this on my wall.” Do you paint at events other than weddings? I also do a lot of corporate work for large brands such as Ralph Lauren, who has been a regular customer for the past three years. I’ve also worked for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Armani as well as a luxury jewellers, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, De Beers and many more. I work at large corporate dinners and charity events at the British Museum, the V&A and many top hotels. I love the variety in my event work, which stops my paintings from becoming samey and keeps my work fresh. I probably only paint a dozen weddings a year but often work at festivals in the summer and of course, lots of Christmas parties! A picture paints a thousand words FIND OUT MORE @jacquelinebissettliveeventart www.jacquelinebissett.com Image courtesy of photographer at Visionnaire for Carolina Herrera 57
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