N.B. painter finds success — and adrenalin rush — combining art with sports

A New Brunswick-based artist has found international success with her live sports painting.  

Bronwyn Celeste has painted in sports arenas across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and beyond.

Live sports painting is the art of capturing amoment of the game as it happens. The artist begins painting at the start of match and finishes it when it's over.

"It's good because it challenges you as an artist," Celeste said. "It can be stressful, yes, but it also is a bit of an adrenalin rush, if I'm being honest."

The earliest instance of this art form can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Greece, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website.

Celeste spent her childhood in Fredericton, where high school teachers encouraged her to pursue this fast-paced form of art work.

"My first ever live painting was at a coffee house at Leo Hayes High School, where the [musical] sets were typically about 15 minutes long."

Painting against the clock: Where sports and art intersect

Growing up, Celeste felt she had to choose between her love of sports and her love of art.

"You couldn't really be both," she said. "I just had this kind of moment, where I went, 'Well, why can I not be athletic and artistic at the same time?'"

She has since turned her twin passions into a career, with a mission to introduce fine art to people who may not have had much exposure to it.

Alongside live painting, she has also re-imagined logos for popular sports franchises.

She was visiting her father when she learned how the National Football League's Buffalo Bills reacted to her depiction of them.

"I burst into the other room and said I can't believe it, the Bills have reached out and said they love the piece that I did!" said Celeste.

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