Large, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
5 min Live Portrait Sketch.
Large, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
Large, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
Large, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
Large, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
Serving as both entertainment and a gift for your guests, booking with Catching Essence can add a touch of wonder and magic to any event experience. Whether it's a ticketed event, a business retreat, or a once-in-a-life-time wedding event, we are honored to bring a unique and artful experience to every guest, every time.
Large, 10 min Live Portrait
5 min Live Portrait Sample.
3-5 min Live Portrait Sketches.
I draw your guests for free for an hourly fee!
Event Booking Pricing
Private Events ✨ $115/hour
3-5 min live portraits for guests. Events that are private in nature, may require an invitation, are not open to the public or events that typically host 30 people or less are considered private events. Includes full or partial Booth setup (if desired).
Public or Corporate Events ✨ $125/hour
3-5 min live portraits for guests. Paid for or Ticketed Events, Dances, Balls, or other Special Events hosted by an individual or business are considered public or corporate events. Includes full or partial Booth setup (if desired).
Birthdays ✨ $150/hour
3-5 min live portraits for guests and 1 Large 10 min group portrait drawn from a photo (taken at the event for reference). I recommend the drawing commence at the beginning of the party during games or another activity or to be towards the middle or end of the event after the "cake". Parties that require 45 min or more of traveling require 2 hr booking or a modest traveling fee. The Large 10 min portrait usually takes between 10 to 15 min, so at max I can only draw 15 guests per hour. My recommendation is to book 1 hr per 10 guests.
Wedding Packages
Standard ✨ $300 for 2 hour presence ✨ 3rd Hour (+) is $75/hr
The Standard includes 3-5 min live portraits for guests, and 1x Large 10 min couples live portrait. Includes full or partial Booth setup (if desired).
Guest Book ✨ $400 for 2 hour presence ✨ 3rd Hour (+) is $75/hr
Details are still being worked out for this package! Please stay tuned!
Ultimate ✨$500 for 2 hour presence ✨ 3rd Hour (+) is $75/hr
The Ultimate includes 3-5 min live portraits for guests, 3x Large 10 min live portraits of the couple (1x together and 2x as individuals), 2x VIP Large 10 min live portraits for special guests or groups, and digital copies of all guest portraits. Includes full or partial Booth setup (if desired).
Event Booking Add-ons
VIP Large 10 min Portraits ✨ $20 each Groups up to 10. Groups with more than 10 people will be $5 extra per (or up to) 4 people and 5 min will be added to the time.
Digital copies of all guest portraits ✨ $100
Full-color digitally painted portrait ✨ Starting at $200 Prices are 10% off when paired with any booking. See Commissions tab to see a full description of pricing.
Printed Guest Art Book ✨ Price calculated upon request: approx. $300-$500
General Terms and Conditions for Event Booking
In order to confirm and reserve the date(s) for the event, the client is responsible to pay a portion of the booking price up-front. The client may choose to pay the entire booking price up-front, but a minimum of 25% is required. The client and artist should agree upon a given date and time for the event booking prior to payment.
In case the artist is asked to or chooses to spend additional time drawing after the booked time has passed, the artist reserves the right to charge the client for the additional time worked. Artists should receive verbal consent in order to proceed after the allotted time is up in order to consider additional charges. Unforeseen circumstances may put the artist back on time during the event. If there is an issue with timing or pricing due to a time-related issue, these issues should be discussed within 2 business days following the event, but not during the time of the event. If the artist decides to move forward with charging for the extra time, the fee shall be calculated based on the rated price of the booking, or at a discounted price if the booking is over 2 hrs in duration.
Private events with more than 20 guests (to be drawn) are required to book artist services for more than 1 hr. For large private parties it is recommended to book the artist's services for a minimum of 2 hrs.
Unless otherwise agreed upon, it is assumed that the artist may not be able to draw all the guests present at public, corporate or community event bookings. This shall also be the case for privately booked events that have more than 20 guests per hour booked. 
Small, 10 min Live Portrait Sketch.
5 min Live Portrait Sketch.
How 30-seconds turned into "Catching Essence" A little more about Live Portraiture and the story behind my work.
"Catching Essence" began at the beginning of 2024 and has now turned into an ever-growing event-artist business serving individuals and communities throughout Utah. I offer private, public, and other special event booking and I am an experienced vendor offering 5 and 10 min portraits for guests and clients at events and markets. As a vendor, I price my product so that many people who have never been able to afford a portrait may have the chance to try it. I recognize that it's a bit of risk for both parties, but I promise a great product in just minutes. I promise to deliver a memorable and heartfelt experience and a wholly singular drawing, each and every time. It's a new and intimate experience being drawn; it can be awkward for many, but I treasure each moment I have being able to spark joy at events and markets with my fun little drawings.
I originally started drawing quick live portraits when I was an undergrad studying Studio Art at a local University. I would go up to random strangers while studying abroad and request if I could draw them for 30 seconds. The project was casually called "30 second Portraiture" and I began to document my drawings and get lots and lots of practice sketching individuals in minutes. How it would work is I would go up to a recently made friend or stranger and say "Hello, I'm an artist and I was wondering if I could draw you for 30 seconds." If they agreed to be drawn, then I would present a counter-offer to draw them for up to 3 minutes and they could choose any number of seconds or minutes between there. For most people who agreed to be drawn, they were open to sitting for a longer portrait! I'd set the timer and set off on the drawing. Mediums varied from sharpie, pen, pencil, anything I had on hand. The best part of the whole experience was giving them the portrait at the end. It was normally a surprise to them; many of them didn't expect it! But every time it happened, it really brought me so much joy seeing those secret smiles cross their faces as they walked away-admiring the little gift or remembering the experience they had.
Drawing people for "free" and giving them that joyful experience and gift is such a good feeling! For this and other reasons, I greatly prefer being hired to draw people at events rather than working as a vendor-because it gives me the chance to create art for guests without the pressure of charging them payments.
I'm so happy that I've found a way to continue this joyful tradition in a new way that also supports me and my family in pursuing our dreams and serving our community. Funds earned, like in most small businesses, help contribute to our present and future needs. My husband and I are both working artists. It's such a privilege to work in something we are passionate about and we thank God to live in such abundance.
Thank you for taking time to read a little more about my story.