MEDIUM & CREATIVE PROCESS                              

My creative process begins with the title and conceptual idea, which guide the work from conception through to execution. I work primarily on Arches Oil Paper, cold pressed, 300g/m² (140 lb)—a surface that combines delicacy with resilience.

After cutting the paper to size, I tape the edges and apply three coats of gesso, building a textured ground that invites gesture and depth. Once dry for 24 hours, I submerge the sheet in room-temperature water to stretch it, then flatten and tape it to a wooden board, allowing it to dry for at least 2 days. When fully dry, I retape the edges and mark the inner area that will contain the painting, defining the composition with precision.

The finished piece intentionally reveals its own construction—the raw Arches paper, the gesso-treated frame, and the painted surface—making the process of preparation an integral part of the visual narrative.

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Each piece begins with an underpainting in brown or yellow ochre tones, covering the surface with variations of yellow and maroon. Using a brush, I spread the pigment smoothly to create a unified base. This underlayer establishes depth and warmth, enhancing color relationships, harmonizing the palette, and defining value and light—especially important when employing techniques of layer removal later in the process.

My primary medium is oil pastel, using Sennelier and Paul Rubens brands for their rich pigmentation and buttery, oil-rich texture. I approach oil pastels much like oil paint, incorporating mediums and drying agents to achieve nuanced transparencies, layered textures, and painterly consistency. My techniques include transfer, blending, and layer removal, often applied with various brushes.

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When using color directly from the pastel stick, I blend it with my fingers—softened by a thin layer of coconut oil or linseed oil—allowing the warmth of touch to merge tones seamlessly. Once the work is complete, I apply a final oil varnish to unify the surface and preserve its luminosity.

As a final gesture, I thank the Universe for the creation and frame the work in white—a deliberate choice that evokes the sensation of looking through a window, enhancing the perception of movement and space within the composition.

I hope you’ve enjoyed discovering my creative process as much as I cherish creating each piece of my surreal, symbolic, and spiritual visual diary.