Sonriseartists Co / Techniques
I’ve been asked more times than I can count: “Can I swap synthetic brushes for natural-hair when working in gouache?” It’s a great question, especially as gouache sits somewhere between transparent watercolor and opaque acrylic in its behaviour. I decided to run a practical test in my...
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I’ve spent years refining a compact mixed-media kit that fits comfortably under a café table, in a train seat pocket, or on my lap without turning a brief sketching session into a logistical puzzle. The trick isn’t just squeezing supplies into a small bag — it’s designing a system that...
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There’s nothing quite like the sinking feeling when you lift a flap of collage and find brittle, cracked layers beneath — torn paper revealing white gashes, flaking paint, or adhesive failures that threaten the whole piece. I’ve walked into my studio to find a finished panel with a cracked...
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When I prepare images of my paintings and mixed-media pieces for giclée printing, I try to think like both the maker and the reproducer. I want the texture, colour relationships and subtle marks to survive the translation from studio surface to archival print. Over the years I’ve developed a...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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