Jacob Event Painting, Florida weddings, live wedding painting, wedding gift, wedding ideas, Florida live painter, live event painting, wedding painter, Jacob James Neagle, Fine Art
Email: JacobEventPainting@gmail.com Phone: 207.333.8081
20 + YEARS FINE ART PAINTING
15 + YEARS LIVE PAINTING
Jacob creates fine art painting masterpieces serving as live entertainment and or painted in his studio, to be cherished for a life time.
Jacob is a traditional painter meaning he paints freehand using brushes & archival materials on hand-stretched canvas, while observing ideal photo reference to make every painting a custom, unique keepsake.
Here are some recent "Completed All on Site" live wedding paintings below:
QUICK LINKS
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
Jacob and his wife, Alexa, are expecting their firstborn later this year! Please consider hiring Jacob to paint you a personalized masterpiece and or giving a generous donation:
FAQs for Live Painting
weddings & events
Updated on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023.
You have a lot of questions?
Jacob has a lot of answers.



What kind of events does Jacob paint at?
Jacob currently accepts painting at a variety of weddings, destination weddings in Florida, Jewish weddings, Christian weddings, Indian weddings, corporate events, galas / fundraisers, birthday parties, vow renewals, sweet sixteens / quinceañeras, bar mitzvahs / bat mitzvahs.
Where does Jacob travel to and where is he based out of?
Jacob is based in the Sarasota, Florida area and travels to events just about anywhere.
How much does Jacob charge?
Just as each of Jacob's clients are unique, so are their events.
Jacob once upon a time charged up to $4,000 to save a date and to create a single, although extravagant, live painting and then because of recent economic disruptions he lowered his pricing significantly to make ends meet.
However, due to recent life altering events, Jacob believes his high skill & experience deserves more than these once incredibly low rates.
The following will determine how much Jacob should be compensated:
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Which package you need and what is being asked of Jacob to paint.
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How many ADD ON(s) are selected.
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When your event is.
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For example: on average Jacob at a minimum will reserve a Saturday for $2,000 total.
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How far your event is from Jacob (Jacob resides in the Sarasota, Florida area).
You are encouraged to fill out a booking request form (towards the bottom of this page or via the quick links above) so Jacob knows how to quote you accordingly.
Does Jacob offer any discounts?
Yes and no. Jacob is willing to entertain requests seeking lowered pricing for weekday weddings and events (Monday through Thursday) as these are less in demand as well as he is giving up less of a social life for these dates. You are welcome to reach out and ask Jacob.
How much does it cost to save Jacob, what is a payment schedule like and how can I pay?
Currently, Jacob requires a $1,000 deposit to save a date (or up to 50% of the total depending on various factors), which will go towards your total amount due and is payable via your preferred credit card through a link Jacob will provide that will lead to your invoice.
Jacob requires to be paid in full no later than 30 days prior to an event date to avoid hassling you too close to your event.
Although rare, if Jacob is still available on an inquired event date that is less than 30 days away, but more than 72 hours out (for some of his packages) if the inquiry is accepted, the full amount would be required to be successfully tendered to Jacob before he arrives to your event.
Are deposits / payments refundable?
No. Out of respect of Jacob saving your date from other inquiries, any deposits and or payments paid to Jacob are non-refundable.
What kind of live painting packages does Jacob offer?
(There are some examples below, but for more imagery please refer to Jacob's Live Wedding Painting Portfolio page for more paintings in his "stylized-realistic" style).
Jacob specializes in gorgeous figurative work (of the bride + groom with or without a pet or loved ones, CEO / VIP, birthday boy or girl etc.) in scenes that can be described as "stylized-realistic" with his unique style. The faces of the people of interest (for example: the bride + groom) will be the most rendered and or realistic, with the rest of the painting being painterly with brush strokes being evident.
Although Jacob is very talented and paints incredibly fast, He is an expert in starting and finishing paintings meaning "completed all on site" at your event and or depending on the complexity of your request will take it back with him meaning "started on site then finished later" to add more people and or ambiance on larger canvas options that require more time for additional compensation.
Completed All on Site (stylized-realistic)
Jacob's most popular package is his "completed all on site" package, whereas he can paint your choice of pose depicting a gorgeously painted bride and groom (or if a different kind of an event the CEO, birthday boy or girl etc.) and having the choice of a 3rd likeness (this is usually a dog) with immediate ambiance. Jacob offers custom sizes from 24 inches x 30 inches up to 30 inches x 40 inches.
Here are some examples:



Started on Site Then Finished Later (stylized-realistic)
For "started on site then finished later" packages, Jacob offers up to 36 inches x 48 inches where it can allow for more ambiance / perspective and up to 15 likenesses (people and or pets) painting in his "stylized-realistic" style.
Here are some examples:



2 Wedding Paintings (stylized-realistic)
Jacob also offers to do a "2 Wedding Paintings Package" at a great deal, of one of his "Completed All on Site" and one of his "Started on Site Then Finished Later" or a combination of the two. If you hire Jacob to do this, regardless of the combination, he will only do one painting while at your event since his base package "Completed All on Site" requires the minimum 3-4 hours to look its best for you and your guests. He will take the necessary photo reference to finish the first painting and also the 2nd painting in his studio after your wedding.
Live Hand Painted Portraits of Guests
A unique take on caricatures.
Exclusion: not offered on Saturdays.
Jacob also offers a unique caricature offering that is aligned with his live painting philosophy of paintings on stretched canvas "Live Hand Painted Portraits of Guests Package" whereas he paints couples / pairs in a simplified manner, who sit for him during an event on horizontal 11 inches x 14 inches canvases in just 12 minute increments. He can do up to 50 people (or 25 couples / pairs) in 5 non-stop hours, or less people in less time. This is a great option for weddings and non-weddings event types.
Here are some examples:
Themed or Impressionistic
Exclusion: only offered for non-weddings .
Best for corporate events / galas / fundraisers.
Additionally, Jacob offers a purely "Alla Prima" painting option only for non-wedding events (this is a great option for corporate events / galas / fundraisers), whereas your painting is very painterly and he can paint many people (faceless) in a scene, and or paint a theme / style of an event including a company logo into the scene. This style can still be described as impressionistic but very painterly with "representational" elements still present, meaning the painting will still have fairly accurate proportions & perspective.
Here are some examples:
Does Jacob offer any ADD ONS to his live painting packages?
Yes! Jacob can also paint a "Custom Studio Painting" via a "Small Couples Portrait Painting" whereas he will paint a more realistic painting before your event and will bring it to your event. When he comes to your event to create a live painting, he will unveil this masterpiece to the bride + groom, bringing them joy as well as allowing it to then be displayed for their guests' enjoyment.
Here as some examples, which can also be found in Jacob's "Custom Studio Painting" page:



Jacob's Custom Studio Painting via a "Small Couples Portrait Painting" is a close up portrait from the waist up (no hands) of a bride + groom with either a basic gradient or solid or a painterly background on a horizontal 16 inches x 20 inches, hand stretched canvas.
OR you are welcome to upgrade to a larger size, up to a 24 inches x 36 inches allowing for more figurative work and or a scene. This is essentially Jacob's "Medium-Large Portrait Painting" which can also be found in his "Custom Studio Painting" page:

A special ADD ON... Will you be having a Remembrance Table at your wedding?
Jacob also offers to create (up to 5) "Memorabilia Small Portrait Paintings" on 11 inches x 14 inches (vertical orientation) stretched canvas, head and bust portraits in his more realistic style, from your provided photography that he can create in his studio before your wedding or event. These paintings are a great way to remember a loved one that has passed away and that you which you want a beautiful painting to have on display at your wedding and to cherish for a lifetime afterward.
What is the process for hiring Jacob to paint at my wedding or event?
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If you are ready to book Jacob (after reading this page and its details), you are encouraged to complete a BOOKING REQUEST form (links are located at the bottom of every page) pertaining to your event type (weddings or vow renewals or another misc. event) so that Jacob knows how to address your special request.
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Requests that are not properly filled out (incomplete address and or full names provided) will not be responded to. Thank you in advance.
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Jacob will email you as soon as he can. Jacob avoids "automation" and prefers the personable touch of writing to you personally, so please be patient for his response. Allow for longer response times on weekends (when he is busiest). Thank you for your patience in advance.
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If Jacob is available on your date, he offer you his current packages.
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If you want to move forward with Jacob saving your date, he will create a digital time-sensitive contract and invoice for you to complete.
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Once the contract is signed, dated by you & him and the invoice's deposit is successfully paid then he will officially be saving your date from other booking requests.
How many events does Jacob do on a daily basis?
Jacob only accepts and books one event on a given date to allow you the most time and care and in addition to allow travel to and from events the day before and or after.
How long has Jacob been painting for? Can I trust his experience?
Jacob painted his first wedding in October 2011 and has painted hundreds of weddings since, had a professional fine art gallery painting and "plein air painting" career reaching as far back as 2007, and has been painting for lovely people since the early 2000's (for more than 20 years). Most importantly, Jacob has been a practicing artist his entire life.
What kind of materials / will the painting be?
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Jacob's paintings are hand-painted using brushes and professional grade acrylic paints, on hand-stretched canvas onto wood stretcher bars with white edges (approximately 1" depth) and creates custom wood braces to make your painting strong.
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Although your painting will be left unframed, Jacob does attach hanging wire on the backside so you can hang it immediately.
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Since every painting is made to order, he can stretch your canvas to a custom size (within the package perimeters).
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Jacob uses archival quality canvas, that he hand-stretches every order to the custom size (within your package perimeters).
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Jacob back staples your canvas, so your painting will have white borders (although there may be some paint that carries over from the front side from when Jacob passionately creates your painting).
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Although unframed, Jacob will attach hanging wire so your painting will be ready to hang if you want to leave it as is or if you'd like you can bring your painting to a framer of your choice to acquire a frame that fits your needs / style.
Does Jacob have any restrictions?
Jacob is a pretty easy-going, down to Earth guy that desires to love people by God's mighty grace. But when it comes to legalities, he desires to hold his ground. He believes in the rights of the individual and will not sign any required documents presented to him by a venue, event planner etc. in order to enter a premises to fulfill an obligation to a client that are in nature: "no-hold harms" and or "release of claims" and or "non-compete".
Additionally, Jacob will not sign any documents that are trending in this current age that go against his beliefs and or are contradictive and are discriminatory to him despite an entity appearing to be "accepting". These in nature actually divide people and create discrimination and Jacob wants nothing to do with these.
He believes these types of documents are one-sided in nature and don't protect him but the other entity. No one should be demanded to sign these kinds of forms and quite actually most places don't.
Also, Jacob will not be held responsible for any mandates that would be imposed by local or federal restrictions, not allowing him to attend an event as he holds to his right of being "non-declaring" regarding any vaccinations, to avoid politics etc. and as he values his privacy. Thank you for your understanding.
What kind of a guy is Jacob?
Please visit About Jacob page to learn more about him!
Is Jacob licensed and or insured?
Jacob doesn't really know what being "licensed" means for an artist... but he has been a professional artist serving wonderful people for over 20 years and has been a practicing artist his entire life!
Jacob Event Painting is a recognized LLC with the state of Florida that is in good standing.
If required by a venue, Jacob can provide a COI (certificate of insurance) to a venue that requires it upon entering their premises. Jacob would be glad to do so after a client officially hires Jacob (not before) emailed to the client's contact at the venue directly, with them informing Jacob how to populate a COI specifically to their needs.
Does Jacob require a vendor meal?
Yes and no. If you want to offer him one, he will greatly appreciate it, if not, he won't hold a grudge against you.
Is Jacob friendly / approachable?
YES! Jacob thrives on attention and encourages conversation with guests through the event while he paints. Men receive a bad rep for not being good at multi-tasking, although this stereotype has merit, but Jacob is MULTITASKULAR with painting AND talking at the same time.
What kind of setup does Jacob have and where does he setup while at my event?
Jacob hand-built his custom set-up to look posh and to be efficient / practical. With many years of experience he knows how to refine his appearance to look great and appealing.
He has a custom easel that can accommodate up to a 36 inches x 48 inches stretched-canvas that he carries in as well as rolls in with his custom painter's cart.
Jacob does not need anything for most events as he stands and paints (no chair) and doesn't need a table as his cart holds everything. However, if hired for his "Live Hand Painted Portraits of Guests Package" he will need a small table to hold the stack of individual canvases and or chairs for the guests that sit for him.
He does however need access to a wall outlet to plug in his easel's clamp lamp during a reception (no needed for a ceremony).
For placement, Jacob is usually trusted to figure this out upon arrival to set up since it only takes a couple minutes or less to do so. But if insisted upon, he can coordinate with an event planner etc. to figure out placement ahead of time. He tends to prefer being placed up against a wall, so that his painting faces out to everyone to enjoy the progress throughout the event and in an area that people congregate and can hear dialogue. Next to a bar is an ideal placement.
Arrival time / Jacob's day-of process and live painting philosophy
Arrival time is dependent upon when he can acquire posed figurative reference of the bride + groom, VIP, CEO etc. if hired for his "stylized-realistic" offering. Typically he would like to coordinate with you if you are having a first look or before the start of the event to meet. This is ideal to not get in the other professionals way during crucial moments, and only takes a few seconds to say hi and discuss your ideal pose and take a pic. He uses this photo reference since its unrealistic for the VIP's to stand still for the entirety of the event for him to paint them.
For weddings: if no first look is happening, Jacob can meet you after the ceremony during formal / family photos to accomplish this.
You don't have to be in the actual scene for Jacob to acquire this reference as he will use his artistic license to paint you into your desired scene (for example: a first dance) as he uses multiple photos to create and orchestrate the ideal painting.
Jacob's live painting philosophy is centered around the people of interest, especially Jacob's "stylized-realistic" offerings whereas he prefers to start the painting's composition with the gorgeous figurative work of the bride + groom etc. first then skew the ambiance to them, not the other way around. Jacob understands there is a live painting style that is predominantly focused on painting the background ahead of time then placing the people of interest on / in it. Jacob's professional opinion is not in favor of this approach as he doesn't view the people of interest as less important than the surroundings.
To in part accomplish this and to attain high-quality figurative work, Jacob requires the people of interest's faces not to be too small (at least 2-3 inches or more in height).
How long does Jacob paint?
Typically, Jacob only needs 3-4 hours for his base package, which either started at a ceremony and or reception, is finished at your reception whereas there is more time. For his packages that require more time, he can paint longer at the event and then after the event in his studio, for additional compensation, depending on the complexity of the painting, only take 1-3 days of additional painting time to accomplish.
Does Jacob hand deliver and or ship paintings?
YES! And no. Jacob's "Completed All on Site Package" is started and finished all at your wedding, so to save you money Jacob prefers to hand your accomplished painting over to you or a loved one of your choosing prior to his departure. However, if you prefer the convenience, Jacob can hand deliver your painting(s) / packages that offer it, no later than 14 days after an event date (Jacob has limited storage space) up to a 3 hour drive for him (Jacob is based in the Sarasota, Florida area.
Otherwise if you reside further than a 3 hour drive for Jacob, he will have your painting professionally shipped, packed and insured by UPS. He will email you a tracking number so you can keep an eye out for it since a signature is required upon delivery.
What kind of attire does Jacob wear?
Jacob wears custom suits and has a world-class / rock band style to him.
Is Jacob clean, neat / orderly?
Ummm yes! Jacob wears his custom clothing because he never gets paint anywhere other than your canvas since he is so articulated with his efforts.
READY TO HAVE JACOB PAINT YOUR WEDDING?
Please fill out the form below.
For non-weddings (other events)
corporate events, galas / fundraisers, birthday parties, vow renewals, sweet sixteens / quinceañeras, bar mitzvahs / bat mitzvahs
please submit a booking request via this link: