The Unexpected Process to My Paintings
When people see one of my finished paintings, they often ask, “Where do you even begin?”
I don’t start by painting flowers, cottages, or coastlines.
I begin by creating a world.
Every painting starts with color and movement. It serves as the foundation for the painting and creates depth and life.
The first image below is how I start. It could be an abstract painting on its own. But it’s the atmosphere where the images in the painting will live. I’ll break the process into three steps:
I started Botanical Rhapsody like this
Stage 1:
Building the Foundation with Acrylic
The first layer is pure freedom and fun (above image)
Using high flow acrylics, I cover the canvas with transparent washes, loose brushstrokes and drips. I’m not trying to paint “something” yet. Instead, I’m establishing movement, atmosphere, and emotional tone.
It’s fun to see where unexpected shapes begin to appear.
The acrylic dries quickly, allowing me to build lots of translucent layers without losing luminosity. These early marks often disappear beneath later oil paint, but they continue influencing everything that follows.
I like to think of them as the hidden heartbeat of the painting.
Stage two of Botanical Rhapsody
Stage 2:
Letting Alcohol Ink Lead the Way
Once the acrylic foundation is complete, I introduce alcohol ink.
Alcohol ink blooms, pools, separates, and creates beautiful organic edges that can’t be painted by hand. I play with it so it wanders across the surface and creates delicate shapes.
Some marks become the inspiration for an entirely new direction.
The unexpected textures and soft transitions become visual clues that eventually suggested flowers, foliage, water, and light filtering through a garden. In this painting, some ink markings became flowers.
It’s one of my favorite parts of the process because it’s unplanned.
Final version of Botanical Rhapsody
Stage 3:
Bringing It Together with Juicy Oils
Only after the abstract foundation feels ready to hold imagery I begin painting with oils. This is where the story emerges.
Using rich, buttery oil paint (I use Vasari paints), I slowly introduced flowers, leaves, butterflies, and water. Some areas became highly finished while others intentionally remain loose, allowing the early acrylic and alcohol ink layers to continue breathing through the painting.
The history of the canvas is not covered up. It becomes the essence of the painting.
Those glowing underlayers create depth that would be impossible with oils alone. They peek through petals, shimmer beneath foliage, and give the finished painting a sense of mystery and movement.
The oils become the final voice—but not the only one.
Why I Paint This Way
Nature isn’t built in a single layer. The places that inspire me are filled with years of growth, weather, change, and layered moments. I want my paintings to feel the same way.
By combining acrylic, alcohol ink, and oil paint, I’m able to create work that feels abstract yet recognizable.
Every layer contributes something essential. Some are obvious. Others remain hidden forever. And I think that’s what makes a painting feel alive.
I hope you found this helpful and inspiring. I look forward to showing you some new surprises next month!