Live painting for events in Cartagena
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.
What is live painting at an event?
It is a painting made during the celebration, in full view of the guests. Nicolás arrives an hour before he starts painting, to set up, and paints while the event happens: your guests watch him work, and the painting takes shape over the course of the session.
The most requested is a scene with the details of the day: the people, the place, the light of the moment. The paintings are mostly in oil.
What is El Arte de Nicolás?
El Arte de Nicolás is the name Nicolás works under: a painter who has painted and sold his work since 1980. He works in Cartagena de Indias, in oil and acrylic, in two ways: live during events, in front of the guests, and on commission in his studio, when there is no event.
He takes one event per session: on the day he paints at your celebration, he is not at another.
Which events does Nicolás paint at?
Weddings, welcome parties, private evenings and celebrations, and corporate events.
At a wedding or a welcome party
You decide together what is painted: the ceremony, the party, the place or the people. Besides the painting, he can paint pieces for your guests live.
If it is a destination wedding and your guests come from abroad, you can book online in English, and someone on our team replies in English on WhatsApp.
At a corporate event
Nicolás paints in full view of the attendees, as at any celebration, and the work remains as a physical piece of the event. For a corporate event, an opening or several events for an agency, message us on WhatsApp and we will send you a quote.
What can be painted?
You decide together. It can be:
- A main painting, priced by size.
- Smaller paintings.
- Pieces for your guests, painted live: iraca fans, hats and other keepsakes.
Up to 20 pieces are painted live during the session. If you order more, the rest are painted beforehand in the studio and delivered on the day of the event.
How does the day of the event go?
Nicolás arrives an hour before he starts painting, to set up; he paints for about four hours and packs up when he finishes. All of it fits within the session you book.
You book a session: day (7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) or evening (5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.). The exact time he paints is agreed with you after booking.
What does the venue need?
- Access an hour before he starts painting, to set up.
- About six square meters of working space, on firm and level ground.
- A power outlet within ten meters.
- Enough light to paint.
- Outdoors, a covered spot, protected from direct sun and rain: direct sun changes how the paint dries.
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, at the place agreed.
A freshly painted piece may not be dry, and moving it too soon puts it at risk: that is why Nicolás tells you which applies when he finishes. The fingerprint tree, like the painting, is delivered within the same period. Pieces for the guests are delivered when the session ends; those that need finishing in the studio, within the 3 business days after the event, and those painted beforehand in the studio, on the day of the event.
Does he paint outside Cartagena or on the islands?
Yes. 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.
On the Rosario Islands and Barú, the trip is by boat and the schedule is set by the departure: an island session takes the whole day.
In San Andrés and Providencia, the booking is reviewed with you before it is confirmed, because working there requires a permit from the OCCRE.
Does he also paint commissioned portraits?
Yes, no event needed. You choose the size, pay online and Nicolás paints it in his studio. For a portrait, he paints from your photographs: no posing needed.
How do I book?
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.