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El Arte de Nicolás
Nicolás paints the floral arch of the ceremony on a large canvas, in a colonial hall with a wooden balcony.
Live painting during a weddingThe ceremony arch, painted while the party went on.

Your celebration, painted as it happens

From Cartagena, Nicolás paints live during your celebration, in front of your guests: weddings, welcome parties, private evenings and corporate events. The painting from that day is delivered that very day or, if it needs finishing in the studio, within the following 3 business days.

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See all about live painting

We also paint commissioned portraits and paintings, no event needed.

You choose the scene

A kiss, a dance, the toast, the ribbon cutting at an opening; and the backdrop: the decor you prepared or the venue. Nicolás paints it during the event and finishes it in his studio.

The couple kisses under the white flower arch of the ceremony, at sunset.
The ceremony
The finished painting: the couple kisses under the white flower arch, painted on the canvas.
The paintingPainted at the party, finished in the studio.
On the dance floor, under a tunnel of white flowers and chandeliers, the groom dips the bride and kisses her.
The kiss on the dance floorUnder the hall’s tunnel of flowers.
The painting of that kiss: the couple under the chandeliers of pink flowers, on a checkerboard floor.
The painting
The couple standing under a stone arch covered in roses, among palms.
The rose archUnder a stone arch covered in roses.
The painting: the same stone arch with its roses, and the couple in the same pose.
The painting

In full view of everyone

Nicolás arrives an hour before he starts painting, to set up, and paints while the celebration happens. Your guests watch him work, and the painting takes shape over the course of the event.

Pieces for your guests

Besides the painting, Nicolás paints iraca fans and hats live for your guests. The service lists which pieces are available, how many are painted in one session and what each one costs.

For a company, with its design? Corporate souvenirs

See what’s included and what it costs

The bride laughs next to Nicolás as he sketches on a white canvas.
The sketch, with the bride beside him
A terrace at sunset with the dome of Cartagena Cathedral behind: two guests choose painted fans while Nicolás paints to one side.
Fans on a terraceWith the Cathedral dome behind.
A guest in a straw hat picks a small painting from a table full of them, while Nicolás paints a red canvas behind her.
Small paintings for the guestsWhile Nicolás paints the main painting.

The fingerprint tree

Instead of a portrait or a scene, the painting from your event can be a fingerprint tree. As they arrive, each guest places a fingerprint on the tree that is already painted, in the colors you choose, and at the end Nicolás finishes it with the fingerprints as its leaves.

At the foot of the tree goes the silhouette of those celebrating.

Ask us about the fingerprint tree

A guest in a light suit presses his fingerprint onto a canvas with a painted tree, in a hall with a brick wall.
Each guest’s fingerprint
Nicolás, beside the easel, finishes the crown of the tree: the colored fingerprints already cover the branches.
Nicolás finishes the crown
The finished tree on its easel: a round crown made of colored fingerprints, with the silhouette of a couple at its foot.
The tree, fullWith the silhouette of the couple at its foot.
Commissioned portrait, first step: the pencil sketch of a man in a sombrero vueltiao with his dog.
The sketch
The finished portrait: the man in a sombrero vueltiao and a blue shirt hugs his dog, on a terracotta background.
The finished portrait

Commissioned portraits and paintings

No event needed. You choose the size, pay online and Nicolás paints it in his studio. For a portrait, he paints from your photographs.

See all about the portraitSee all about the commissioned painting

The work

More work on Instagram
Oil painting of a square in Cartagena: ochre colonial arches, palenqueras with fruit bowls and a horse-drawn carriage on the wet ground.
Plaza de los CochesOil on canvas
Straw hat hand-painted with a toucan with a green and orange beak and a lilac flower.
Hat with a toucanHand-painted on straw
Oil painting of a street in Cartagena’s old city: balconies with flowers, lanterns and a horse-drawn carriage on wet cobblestones.
A street in the old cityOil on canvas
Painting of a wedding ceremony in the courtyard of a colonial house with red arches: the couple at the back under a flower arch and the guests seated.
A wedding beneath the archesPainting of the ceremony, in a colonial house
Oil painting of Cartagena Bay at sunset, with sailboats in silhouette, seagulls and the city’s domes in the distance.
The bay at sunsetOil on canvas
Dozens of iraca fans painted with the Virgin of Guadalupe, with tassels, on a wooden table.
Fans for guestsHand-painted iraca, with tassels
Night oil painting of Cartagena: lit arches, the golden dome in the distance and figures walking under the lanterns.
Cartagena by nightOil on canvas
Nicolás, in a white shirt with the logo, a beret and sunglasses, smiles with his brushes in hand, outdoors.

Nicolás

He has painted and sold his work since 1980. He works in oil and acrylic in Cartagena de Indias: in halls, on terraces and on beaches during celebrations, and in his studio when a commission has no event. He takes one event per session.

Next available dates

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Good to know

How do I book a date?

Choose the date and the session in the calendar, pay the deposit online, and the date is held as soon as the payment is confirmed. Each service lists its deposit percentage and how far in advance it can be booked.

What does Nicolás need at the venue?

He arrives an hour before he starts painting, to set up. He needs about six square meters, a power outlet within ten meters and, outdoors, a covered spot. Then he paints while the celebration happens, in full view of everyone.

When is the painting delivered?

The painting is delivered that very day or, if it needs finishing (drying, fixing, retouching and protection), it goes to the studio and is delivered within the following 3 business days. Nicolás tells you which applies when he finishes: a freshly painted piece may not be dry, and moving it too soon puts it at risk.

What if the event is outside Cartagena or on the islands?

Yes, we travel. The published price covers the artistic service; transportation and, if the distance requires it, accommodation are quoted separately and agreed with you before the date is confirmed. Tell us the city and we will let you know what changes.

Do you work with companies and planners?

Yes. For a company, we paint its pieces with its design: fans, hats, jute bags or T-shirts. For a corporate event, an opening, or the events of an agency or a planner, message us on WhatsApp and we will send you a quote.

Corporate souvenirsMessage us on WhatsApp

Do you speak English?

Yes: someone on our team replies in English on WhatsApp, and you can book online in English. The payment page (Wompi) is in Spanish. The terms and conditions and the privacy policy are translated into English, and the Spanish version governs.

What currency are the prices in?

Colombian pesos (COP).

All about live painting

Have a date in mind?

See the available dates, or message us with yours.

See dates and book+57 324 6617899

Nicolás replies, usually the same day.

See dates and book