Wheeler Maternity Painting Session

A Maternity Painting Session: The Wheeler Family’s Paint-Filled Adventure

Maternity sessions are always special, but when you mix in a little paint, a lot of laughter, and a whole bunch of kids who are more than ready to dive into some mess, magic happens. This past summer, I had the absolute joy of photographing my brother and sister-in-law for her fourth pregnancy, and let me tell you, this maternity painting session was one for the books.

From “Insta-piration” to reality

A while back, I came across a post on Instagram that stopped me mid-scroll. It featured a mom and her toddler painting a canvas together during their photo session. The results were beyond sweet—pure, messy, and full of love. Immediately, I knew I wanted to bring this idea to life with one of my own clients. Lucky for me, I have built-in models who trust my vision and aren’t afraid to get their hands (and, as it turned out, their faces, arms, and clothes) a little dirty.

Now, let me just say, I totally lucked out when my brother married his wife. We’ve never been the “talk-on-the-phone-every-day” kind of besties, but she is hands down the best sister-in-law I could have asked for. She rolls with my crazy ideas and always supports my creative endeavors. So, when I pitched the idea of a maternity painting session where the kids would be painting not just a canvas but quite possibly her, she didn’t even hesitate.

“Well, the kids will love it,” she said, which was her way of saying, “This might be a disaster, but I trust you.”

On the day of the maternity painting session, we set up at their homestead—an already beautiful and sentimental location that holds so many memories for their growing family. As I started laying out the paints and brushes, the kids stood by, suspicious. There were no rules about staying clean? No reminders about not making a mess? It wasn’t until their mom gave the official nod of approval that they dove in headfirst.

And when I say dove in, I mean it quite literally. Within minutes, paint was everywhere. Blue, pink, and yellow smeared across tiny hands and stretched across the canvas. Blue paint on my brother’s head, his back, and down well… everywhere. And Mom, she was absolutely glowing—not just from pregnancy but from the pure joy of watching her kids revel in this moment. It was all kinds of beautiful chaos, and thankfully we chose to do this outside, because the mess would have taken ten times as long to clean up.

Even my daughter, Gracie, who had been sitting back and observing the madness, looked at my nephew and said, “Man, you’re so lucky. My mom would never let us do this.” Of course, her face when Aunt Macauley explained it was Gracie’s mom’s (my) idea, we all had to giggle because she looked surprised. So, challenge accepted Kiddo and we’re scheduling it for this summer.

By the end of the session, the Wheelers had not only a beautiful canvas to hang in their playroom but also a collection of photos that told the story of this wild and wonderful season of life. Sure, the paint may have washed out of their clothes (which, in hindsight, maybe I should have planned differently), but the memories? Those are forever.

And if the shirts came clean, well, I guess that just means we’ll have to do it again.

If you’re expecting and want a maternity session that captures the heart of your family in a fun, unique, and beautifully messy way, let’s chat! I’d love to bring a little more paint and a whole lot of love into your photos.

📍 Pacific Northwest | 📸 Markie Jones Photography 💻 www.markiejonesweddings.com 📷 Instagram: @markiejonesphotographyllc 📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/mjpllc