Why I Keep Coming Back to Mixed Media

I've painted with acrylics, worked with oils, sprayed walls, carved wood, poured resin, and built furniture. But mixed media is where everything comes together.

No Rules, Just Decisions

When I start a mixed media piece, the only rule is that there are no rules. I might begin with a base layer of acrylic, add texture with modeling paste, incorporate found materials, and finish with resin or spray paint. Each decision opens up new possibilities.

Every Surface Tells a Story

The thing I love most about mixed media is the layering. Every layer adds history to the piece. You can see traces of earlier stages — a color peeking through, a texture partially covered, a material edge exposed. The final piece holds the entire journey of its creation.

Material Conversations

Different materials behave differently. Acrylic is forgiving. Resin is unforgiving. Spray paint is fast. Ink is unpredictable. When these materials meet on the same surface, they create tensions and harmonies that I couldn't plan in advance.

Crossing Into Three Dimensions

Mixed media naturally pushes beyond the flat canvas. Adding physical materials — fabric, metal, wood, found objects — turns a painting into something between a painting and a sculpture. That dimensional quality is what makes people want to reach out and touch the work.

Never the Same Twice

Even when I use similar materials and techniques, no two mixed media pieces come out alike. The process has too many variables — humidity, drying time, the angle of a pour, the randomness of a splatter. That unpredictability is what keeps me coming back.