Live Wedding Painter in Hawai’i and Southern California
AS IT FELT.
Fleeting moments, captured in oil.
Based on the Big Island of Hawai’i
Aloha. I’m Laura, a live wedding painter and artist based in Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
For 20 years, I’ve stood at my easel during wedding ceremonies and receptions, translating light, color and emotion into oil paintings that couples keep for the rest of their lives.
I also paint custom beach portraits of families and children. Sun drenched impressionist paintings inspired by the beauty of Hawai’i’s coast.
Serving all the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California
Now Booking 2026 & 2027
AS SEEN IN
A photo documents. But a painting transports.
This is the kind of piece you’ll return to for decades—not just look at, but feel again.
What Happens at your Wedding
I arrive about two hours before your ceremony so the landscape is already taking shape on the canvas before your first guest walks in. The easel is set up to be part of your celebration without distracting from it. Your guests love watching the piece evolve throughout the evening and feeling like part of your story.
My style is impressionistic. I'm painting the light, the color, and what your wedding day actually looks like in the moment. Faces come through in patches of color rather than outlined features. The handmade quality, the deeply felt color, and the little imperfections are what give your painting its charm. It's what makes a live wedding painting art rather than a photo.
No two paintings look alike. Everything is completely unique to you: the aesthetics of your wedding, your personal preferences, and anything that seems particularly magical about your day.
After your wedding, I bring the painting back to my studio in South Kona, Hawai'i. I enhance the colors, develop the portraiture, and perfect the composition so your painting is a true work of art.
Evan & Nicole
“I can't explain this piece from our wedding with any other explanation other than it just brings us so much happiness and is absolutely priceless to us!
My wife and I have our portrait hung in our living room and it reminds us of our very best day anytime we sit down together."
What the camera misses, I obsess over
Capturing the light, color, movement and feeling of your wedding day.
Marisa & Michael
“Laura is a true artist in every sense of the word. Our painting turned out so much better than we could have imagined.
The lighting in the brush strokes is beyond beautiful, and it has definitely become the centerpiece of the living room in our home.”
Erin & Jimmy
“A work of heart! Laura captured our wedding in a way which no photo, album, nor video ever could”
Meet the Artist
Aloha. I'm Laura. I've been a live wedding painter for 20 years, one of the first artists in the country doing this! I live with my poi dog Poppy on a small piece of land in South Kona's coffee belt that I spent years chasing and finally made home with the help of my Hawaiian Ohana.
When I'm not painting weddings, I'm exploring the underwater world along the Kona coast, trying to keep up with yard work, or painting whatever's blooming outside. I love to practice sumi-e and paint directly from observation. Both are ways of slowing down and really looking.
When your guests walk up to my easel, they're meeting someone who has spent a lifetime learning how to look closely, and who loves sharing that with the people in the room.
Professional credentials
BFA MICA 2003
MFA University of Washington 2010
Fulbright scholar: Spain/ Painting 2011-12
College Professor of Drawing for 5+ years
Copyist Prado Museum 2005, 2008, 2012
First Live Wedding Painting done in 2006
Custom Beach Portraits
In addition to weddings, I paint impressionist beach portraits of families and children enjoying the beauty and serenity of Hawai'i's coast.
My style is inspired by Sorolla, the Spanish master who captured people at the ocean in a candid and natural way. Following in his footsteps, I try to capture the sunlight, the warmth, and the feeling of you being there.
A day at the beach with your family becomes a painting you'll have forever. Something that holds the warmth of the water, the salt in the air, and the feeling of that day for years to come.
Ready to talk about your wedding?
I’d love to hear about your day and see if we’re a good fit. I’ll confirm your date’s availability asap before our call.
Now Booking 2026 & 2027
I paint a limited number of weddings and beach portraits each year to ensure every couple gets my best creative energy. I serve all the Hawaiian Islands and travel to Southern California several times a year.
If you’re drawn to my style and want your wedding painted by an artist with 20 years experience, I’d love to hear from you. Dates tend to fill quickly, especially for spring and fall weddings in Hawai’i so the earlier you reach out, the easier it is to secure yours.