A woman with curly hair, wearing a pink satin blouse, a pink headscarf, and a floral skirt, looks into a mirror while holding an open book, with a surprised or curious expression.

A fresco-inspired Live Wedding Painter in Italy

I’m Sheean, a Vogue-featured live illustrator based in Florence, Italy. Born and raised in The Bahamas, I create romantic, painterly watercolor portraits on-site at weddings and private events across Italy and Europe. Inspired by the elegance of the Grand Tour era, my work captures guests through hand-painted portraits that become a lasting part of the celebration.

My journey began at a wedding in Tuscany, where guests were eager to take home a piece of the evening. “I’m going to frame this as soon as I get home,” one guest told me. Since then, I have created a new kind of wedding experience: one where guests are not only entertained, but individually celebrated through the art of portraiture. From sunlit afternoons at Belmond Hotel Cipriani and Castello di Velona to candlelit receptions at Villa Miani and Villa Corsini, I have had the privilege of painting in some of Italy’s most storied settings.

Watercolor paintings and art supplies on a wooden park bench outside surrounded by trees.
A woman with curly hair, wearing a headscarf and a blue and black jacket, sitting by a window with a view of Florence Cathedral's dome, holding a cup. There is a portrait of a woman with a lamp, and a potted plant on the right.

Whether they’re celebrating in an intimate villa on Lake Como or hosting a grand reception in a historic Italian estate, my couples want their wedding to feel deeply personal, artistic, and one-of-a-kind. Painting at weddings throughout Italy has taught me to work seamlessly within a celebration, always attuned to atmosphere and guest experience.

After graduating from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, I moved to Florence to immerse myself in Renaissance painting techniques at Chiaroscuro Atelier. In 2022, I continued my old master training through a summer residency at Accademia Vivarium Novum in Rome, deepening my connection between art, storytelling, and cultural heritage.

My work has been featured in British Vogue,  The Los Angeles Times,The Lane, The Florentine, Travel Noire, and on the national Italian TV show Slow Tour Padano through a partnership with UNESCO and the Italian Ministry of Tourism.

I have created work for cultural institutions, global brands, luxury hospitality groups, and private clients, including the National Gallery of London, Google, Amazon, The Hoxton Rome, La Ménagère, and The History Channel.

In Florence, I was selected for the Blogs & Crafts competition at Artigianato e Palazzo, a celebration of heritage artisanship supported by Ferragamo and LVMH.

If you feel drawn to this kind of storytelling, I’d love to hear about your celebration.

Portrait pendant featuring a woman's profile, framed with intricate beaded border.