I wanted to understand why my tubes of Schmincke gouache behaved so oddly on a particular paper I’d been experimenting with in the studio — a sheet I had sized to a silky finish using a dilute animal glue sizing and a couple of coats of Chinese silk sericin mix (a workflow I’d been using to...
Jun 16, 2026
• by Éloïse Martin
Latest News from Sonriseartists Co
I often think of “mistakes” in the studio as conversations my work invites me to have, rather than problems to be solved. Intentionally introducing slips, glitches and unexpected marks can open narrative possibilities in figurative work—hinting at memory, vulnerability, or the unspoken. Below I share practical techniques I use in painting and mixed media to weave purposeful imperfections...
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Stepping into a small studio means learning to be resourceful. My current workspace is compact, north-facing and blessed with a large sash window that floods the room with soft, indirect light for most of the day. I’ve built my working routine around that light and the constraints of limited space — it’s shaped everything from my daily schedule to what I keep on the workbench. Over years of...
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I’m often asked how to pull together a solo show when time is short and the budget is even shorter. Over the years I’ve learned that a focused concept, a tight timeline and a few practical shortcuts will get you from first idea to hanging flush on the wall — without losing the integrity of the work. Below I share a step-by-step approach I use when planning solo exhibitions on a shoestring:...
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When I teach mark-making to beginners, I aim to create an atmosphere where experimentation feels safe, playful and deliberately low-stakes. Mark-making is about decision-making: line, pressure, speed, tool choice and surface. My goal is to help students move from hesitation to curiosity — to try marks without worrying about 'getting it right'. Below are three classroom exercises that I use...
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I take my painting outside as often as I can — there’s something about the day's shifting light, wind, and the odd passerby that keeps my practice alive and frank. Over the years I’ve tried a few solutions for portable light when the weather turns grey or when I want to extend a short golden hour: headlamps, clamp lights, even lanterns. Recently I started using small LED panels designed for...
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When I stand in front of a primed large canvas for the first time, there’s a small, familiar flinch — part excitement, part dread. Large formats ask for decisions that feel irrevocable: scale, focal point, and how marks will breathe across the surface. Over the years I’ve developed a set of quick compositional studies that act like a warm-up for the brain and body. They help me move past...
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I make a lot of work on board — panels feel reassuringly stable, portable and durable, and they respond beautifully to layers of paint, collage and surface manipulation. When I translate that studio approach into large-scale mixed-media mural work on board, the challenge becomes one of making each element robust: adhesive layers that don’t delaminate, paint that resists cracking, and finishes...
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Curator-led open calls can feel intimidating — a tight brief, a jury of professionals, and the sense that you're competing against a large pool of makers. Over years of applying to exhibitions and advising artists for the journal, I've learned that the difference between a shortlist and a polite rejection often comes down to how you present your idea and images, not just the work itself. Below...
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I often find myself drawn to the way a small, unexpected underlayer can transform the finished surface of a painting. Lately I’ve been experimenting with using gouache as an underlay beneath vibrant acrylic highlights — a pairing that feels slightly rebellious because gouache and acrylic sit so differently on the material spectrum. In this piece I’ll take you through why I use gouache...
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I love experiments that sit between drawing and printmaking — processes that respond to touch, time and chance. Cyanotype is one of those magical techniques: simple to set up, fast to learn, and endlessly generous when combined with collage. Over the last few years I’ve been exploring small, hybrid prints that start with cyanotype exposures and are finished with collage, gouache, ink and...
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