Daily Inspiration: Meet Victoria Lowry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Lowry.

Hi Victoria, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
While in my sophomore year at Marymount Manhattan College to receive a BFA in Dance, I took a painting class as an elective and I was mistaken as one of the art majors. Upon my professors encouragement, I ended up double majoring in Dance and Studio Art.

Upon returning to Raleigh, NC in late 2015 I adopted my first dog and started working heavily in animal rescue. Pet portraiture was the perfect blend of my love for animals and painting.

My performance and dance teaching background lended itself well to paint and sip, where I carved out a specialty for Paint Your Pet classes. I love to use these events as fundraisers, and just in the first quarter of 2025, I’ve been able to donate over $1,000 to local rescues.

I continued to create commissioned paintings as well as teach paint and sips when my interest was peaked seeing Live Wedding Painting on social media and at friend’s weddings.

In 2023, a venue partner for paint and sip had a client reach out for live painter recommendations. Knowing I was interested in getting into this field, they passed my information along. I ended up becoming a preferred vendor for the wedding venue I painted. Last year I painted 23 weddings, I am currently booked for 39 in 2025, and 10 for 2026 with my books still open!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any entrepreneurship journey comes with challenges! I’ve tried events, partnerships and products that haven’t worked out for a variety of reasons. I still struggle with undercharging, where I break down what I’ve actually earned for the hours put into a piece and it was less than $10/hour. Knowing my art’s and time’s worth will probably always be one of the hardest parts for me!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My style is deeply rooted in realism. I create acrylic and watercolor paintings, where I try to elevate a memory or moment in time to encapsulate a feeling. Especially after losing two of our beloved dogs in the last year, creating memorial pet portraits is especially impactful to me. But I am a true extrovert who is energized by engaging with others! So, I really love my paint and sip events and live paintings where I can connect with my community.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I initially began paint and sip working for a franchise. Deciding to invest in my own class supplies, reach out to venue partners and break out on my own was a scary step! But it’s has been profoundly worth it!

I can also tell you that my first few live wedding paintings were terrifying! Having couples trust me to capture one of the most important days of their life is certainly daunting, and I had a big learning curve finding my style and defining my offered painting packages.

Pricing:

• Pet Portraits starting at $60+
• Paint and Sip classes starting at $45+
• Live Wedding Painting starting at $750+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victorialowryart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/victorialowryart and instagram.com/triangleweddingpainter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorialowryart
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@victorialowryart