Kelly Hammann is an artist specializing in live wedding painting.

She describes herself as a dreamer. A true romantic. “I live my life in a steady state of romanticizing. I believe that’s why I became an artist at a young age. I can’t recall making the decision to be an artist because it was never a choice. I thrive off of beauty and there simply wasn’t enough of that in my suburban upbringing in southern Wisconsin. Once I discovered I could curate my own beauty with color, shapes, and textures – I became whole.”

Who inspired you to become an artist?

I was surrounded by artists growing up. On my mother’s side of the family, I have an uncle who is a sculptor, and both my grandma and great grandmother were painters. They all lived in southern California where I felt the environment was warm, vibrant, and inviting. I think the combination of their artistic influence and the glamour of the West Coast being so different from what I was used to was a catalyst to my inherent desire to create.

How did you get started painting live wedding images?

I love this story because I was very hesitant to try it at first. A friend of mine was getting married and asked if I would be interested in live painting at her wedding. I told her I would think about it… and I almost said no! I am a very detailed, realistic painter. How was I supposed to finish an entire painting in less than eight hours? In the spirit of self-growth, I accepted the challenge. I ended up absolutely falling in love with it. People seemed to love watching me, and the couple absolutely gushed over the end result. I’m so thankful to have pushed myself.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

There are so many rewarding aspects to live painting at a wedding, but for me – it’s about the love. I love love! I have the honor of capturing an intimate moment between two people in love, on the most important date of their story. I cry during every ceremony. It truly is a blessing to translate love with paint on a canvas.

What’s the most challenging part?

The time constraint is probably my biggest obstacle. My goal is to have a near complete painting by the end of the reception. I have to make decisions on the fly, freehand everything, mix my colors to perfection, and capture the likeness of the couple in a matter of hours. There’s no time to make mistakes. It usually takes me weeks to take a painting from start to finish, not to mention the added complexity of the subject matter being two portraits.

What do you do in your free time?

When I’m not painting a wedding, I’m painting something completely different. I love surrealism and painting with bright fluorescent colors (nearly the opposite of my usual wedding color palette.) I also enjoy sculpting, crafting, baking, and writing poetry. When I’m not using my hands to create something magical, I’m lounging on the couch with my husband watching Gordon Ramsay or flailing my hair around at an EDM show!

What’s your favorite Huntsville spot?

Hands down, Phat Sammy’s. Between the food, the drinks, and the insane mural – it’s a whole vibe.