Live Painting
Commissions
Events
I don't just paint at your event.
I become a part of it.
I paint live at your event - creating expressive drawings and paintings as your guests arrive, mingle, and celebrate. Some guests take home a small hand-drawn portrait made just for them on the night. Others commission a larger piece that captures the feeling of the whole day. Every event is different. Every piece is original.
Creative Edinburgh Award Winner 2020
AS SEEN IN
BBC Scotland · The Herald · The Scotsman · The National · The Wee Review · Creative Edinburgh Award Winner 2020
THE EXPERIENCE
What happens on the day.
Every commission begins before the event does. Here is how it unfolds.
01
We talk first
A short call to understand your event, your vision, the atmosphere you want, and what the painting should capture. The brief is ours to shape together.
02
I arrive and set up
I bring everything I need — easel, canvas, oil or watercolour, and the focused attention of someone who has performed in front of audiences for twenty years.
03
The painting unfolds
I paint live throughout your event. Guests gather, watch, ask questions. The canvas becomes a gathering point — a quiet spectacle running through your celebration.
04
You leave with a legacy piece
The original painting is yours. Framed or unframed, finished on site or completed in studio — we agree the details upfront. It will hang on a wall for decades.
THE WORK ITSELF
Gestural. Figurative.
Deeply present.
My painting is alive in the same way a performance is alive. It doesn't seek perfection — it seeks truth. Every mark on the canvas is a decision made in real time, in response to what I'm witnessing in the room.
Oil on canvas or board, and mixed media for work that needs more time. Watercolour, charcoal and pastel for live sketching commissions.
Gestural figurative with expressive colour. I paint people the way I feel them — present, weighted, alive. Architecture and landscapes carry the same emotional charge.
From intimate A6 commissions to large-format event canvases. We discuss what fits your wall — and your vision.
Available worldwide. UK, Europe, and international commissions welcomed. Travel and accommodation arranged with care.
WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT
What makes this offer genuinely rare is not simply that I paint. It is that I know how to hold a room. Over fifteen years of physical theatre, solo performance, and live storytelling means I understand presence — how to be visible without being intrusive, how to invite people in without pulling focus.
I have performed at Brighton Fringe, Edinburgh venues, Borders Book Festival, and the Refugee Festival Scotland. I have painted live on stage while performing a full solo show. I know how to do this under pressure — and I know how to make it look effortless.
The Wee Review · CCA Glasgow
"An engaging, warm performer who actively makes eye contact with her audience — blending real-time chalk sketching with physical interpretation and autobiographical storytelling."
The Herald Scotland · Mary Brennan
"She has a chameleon physicality — a visual artist who sweeps a landscape onto blank paper, the rapid strokes underlining her need to remember and the wish to forget."
The Scotsman · Joyce McMillan
"Remarkable Scottish-based performance artist"
15+
Years of performance and live art practice
99
People who backed her Kickstarter solo show from around the world
2020
Creative Edinburgh Independent Award — PlayfulFest
↗
Available for events worldwide — UK, Europe and international
WHO IS THIS FOR
You want people to
remember it.
Weddings & celebrations
You want your guests to leave with something they will never forget
Your guest come, enjoy the party, and leave with something they have never been given before. A quick, expressive, hand-drawn portrait - made in the room, on the night, just for them. They'll frame it. They'll talk about it. And they'll remember your wedding every time they see it.
Brand launches & corporate events
You want a moment people keep talking about
A live painter at your product launch or brand activation becomes a centrepiece. It gives guests somewhere to gather, something to watch, and a story to tell. The original artwork can be auctioned, displayed, or gifted.
Private commissions & artist in residence
You want an artist in your space
A private commission of your home, your family, or a subject that means something. Or a residency — days or weeks of focused creative work tied to your place, your story, your world.
PRACTICAL RESOURCES
Everything
you need to know.
Every event is different. Here are the most common questions — and if yours isn't here, the enquiry form is the place to ask it.
How far in advance should I book?
Popular dates — particularly weddings and large events — fill months ahead. For peak season I'd suggest getting in touch at least four to six months before your date. Shorter notice is sometimes possible — do ask.
What do you need on the day?
A clear view of the scene I'm painting, reasonable light, a small area for my easel and materials (roughly 1.5m × 1.5m), and a contact person at the venue. I bring everything else. I leave the space exactly as I found it.
Will the painting be finished on the day?
For most events yes — the painting is substantially complete by the time guests leave. For larger formats requiring studio finishing, I complete the work within two weeks and deliver it directly to you.
Can I commission a painting from photos?
Yes. If you have a moment, a place, or a person you'd like painted and a live event isn't the right context, I take studio commissions year-round. Get in touch with your idea and we'll go from there.
Do you travel internationally?
Anywhere in the world. Travel and accommodation are arranged as part of the commission. We discuss this transparently during our initial call.
How much does it cost?
Every commission is different — event type, duration, scale, travel, and finish all shape the investment. I don't publish prices because I don't want the numbers to do the talking before we've even spoken. Use the form below and let's start there.
LET'S MAKE SOMETHING TOGETHER
Tell me about your event.
Tell me what you're imagining. What would you like painted?
What feeling do you want the piece to hold?
No commitment. Just a conversation. I respond to every enquiry personally — usually within 48 hours.