Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheyenne Vandegrift.
Hi Cheyenne , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, I’m Cheyenne! I’m a St. Louis-based live wedding painter and watercolor guest portrait artist who believes the most meaningful parts of a wedding day are often the moments nobody planned for. I think God has so many beautiful stories He tells through life’s small moments…
Those are the moments I love to preserve.
My journey as an artist began long before weddings entered the picture, but I quickly fell in love with the idea that art could become more than decoration—it could become a way to hold onto a memory. Today, I create live wedding paintings and guest portraits that capture not just what your day looked like, but what it felt like.
It’s fairly uncommon for an artist to have a business name that isn’t their name because you’re trying to have your name be your brand or “mark”. But I always wanted whatever I created to be more than just “Cheyenne” or something that I was creating. I want my art to point towards something. My hope is that it points to the Creator of all things.
I started this business in the midst of 2020, when seemingly every major moment was taken from people. Weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and even births were being celebrated in solitude. During a time of big moments being squandered, I began appreciating the small moments that much more.
Now I’ve always been someone that LOVES celebrating and making memories out of all the little things, but 2020 really amplified that and made me grateful for every small moment. The big moments matter, but the small moments do too…sometimes even more. And thus, the name was born. If you’re here reading this then I feel like you probably feel the same way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My painting journey has grown as my capacity has grown. It by no means was an overnight success, but rather many little pockets of time spent investing in my skill, my business, and my relationships. I had one reel that blew up in all the worst ways that made me want to quit, but thankfully I had many kind people in my life that encouraged me to just keep going, and I am so glad I did!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My style blends romantic storytelling with painterly realism: soft brushwork, beautiful light, movement, and emotion, all woven together into artwork that feels timeless and alive. I specialize in watercolor guest portraits, though I love any work that gives me a chance to tell the bigger picture story. One of my most recent projects has been the piece that I’m most proud of. It was a commission that told an incredible story of hope surrounding the terrible event of Abbey Gate. To be able to create something that inspires hope and light around such a dark memory is my proudest creation so far.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson that I’ve learned along the way is two-fold. One, never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end. It’s so easy to get bogged down when you are only seeing the best of someone’s life without looking at all the steps they took to get there. And two, everything is for the glory of God, not my own. Without Him, I wouldn’t be what I am today!
Pricing:
- Canvas Painting Packages begin at $1,600+
- Guest Illustration Packages begin at $1,250
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thesmallmomentstoo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmallmomentstoo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069610001869
