Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Tudor.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m an artist and fashion illustrator based in Los Angeles, and I paint live watercolor and acrylic art at weddings and at fashion, retail and entertainment events. I’ve always been fascinated by fashion, drawing and painting. I remember my school notebooks were full of drawings of princesses in gowns and tiaras, mixed in with my class notes. I got lost for hours in my own world, in my room, creating, drawing, and designing my own clothes and jewelry.
Because I loved all things creative and I also had a background in science from school, I decided to become an architect, to merge the two. During over a decade of architecture practice, a new world opened up to be filled with three-dimensionality, proportion and scale. My drawing skills evolved as I designed buildings, and at the same time, I kept drawing, painting and having fun with fashion as my creative outlets.
In 2011, when I started painting with watercolors, it brought back happy childhood memories of getting lost in that feeling of creating freely. After a while, I also began painting portraits and illustrations live, at events, which at first terrified me. But I was more excited to do it than I was scared, so I just jumped in and did it. It wasn’t until 2017 when I took a leap of faith and started painting full time.
Now, painting live feels both comfortable and thrilling at the same time for me. I find that capturing a gesture, a moment in time, with my brushes and paints brings happiness to people. Seeing the look of joy on someone’s face when they first see their portrait and knowing they’ll always remember that moment and the story behind it is priceless.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think my biggest challenge has always been fear. Fear of failure, fear of changing course from my career in architecture, fear of the unknown. For years I gave myself countless excuses and gave in to the fear of not knowing what this new business would even look like! Unlike becoming an architect, I had no map for how to get there. I had to trust my intuition and just go with it.
I reminded myself to let go of the expectation of knowing the answer to everything before I even begin! This is still hard for me to do, but I try to remind myself of this often. But I made a conscious decision to look at this journey as a discovery and a learning experience. And I learned that, for me, taking action is the best way to move past my fears and to build momentum. Even when I don’t have everything figured out – in fact, especially then! Once I realized fear was the only thing holding me back, I decided to jump and build my wings on the way down!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cristina Tudor Art story. Tell us more about the business.
I paint artwork live and on the spot at weddings and at events in fashion, retail and entertainment. I’m known for my minimal and monochromatic fashion illustration style, with occasional pops of color, and for my watercolor head portraits. I like to make painting at an event fun and interesting and to keep it entertaining as I paint in front of an audience. With my brushes and paints, I tell the story of that special moment in time.
My paintings have been described by clients as ‘airy, evocative, elegant and beautiful’. One of my favorite responses from a client has been that my portrait made her fall in love with herself, which blew me away! Witnessing someone’s emotional reaction when they first see their portrait and knowing my art makes a difference in their life makes me so happy!
My clients love that my paintings tell their stories, their hopes and dreams, in a very personal and unique way. A bride on her wedding day, an opening party or a fashion show – when the wonderful day is done, and the lights go off, a painting I created at the moment can capture and bring back a flood of happy memories for years to come!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We spend countless hours each day tied to our tech gadgets, alone, disconnected from real life human contact, even when in the middle of a crowd. Watching someone paint in person, as it is happening, fascinates us because it makes us feel emotion. It makes us feel inspired and relaxed at the same time, and we all want to feel that way.
I think live painting will become more and more common, driven by our need to feel emotionally connected to ourselves and to each other. My goal as a live painting artist is to keep exploring this emotional connection. I hope to grow in new creative directions in the same organic and intuitive way. I’m very excited to be on this journey and to see what shape my work will take next.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cristinatudor.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thecristinatudor
- Facebook: Cristina Tudor Art
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