Sometimes a piece needs a full rework or just a bit of a spa day; I have worked my original painting, Blood, Sweat & Salty Tears, since first producing it in 2021. I loved this piece greatly as is, but wanted to elevate it a notch by implementing new materials. I wanted to give her an even sexier boost. ;
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Let's check out the journey of this piece and I'll share my process + findings!
1st Version ↓
In this first version, you can see a heavy load of purple undertones within the blue base. I love how the colors complimented one another and blended to make a dream-like ocean wave vibe. This version was NOT resined and had a textured "matte" finish with varnishing.
Although I love the original state of this painting, it was time to spunk it up a bit! Check out the transformation below...
FINAL 'Spa Day' Version! ↓
I approached this next stage for the painting with a new technique that I have never tried before now. I added a new medium: caviar beads! Although daunting at first, I knew I wanted to amp up the piece with lots of texture with a resin finishing coat for that extra shine and for the beads to float within it- this emulates sand in ocean water, which I love. I began by selecting which shades of beads I wanted to implement which were dark blue, turquoise, and light pink to match the colors already existing on the canvas.
Pro-Tip for applying caviar beads: use a brush!
This was an intricate process where I wanted the beads to be condensed in placement to provide a dense coloring as well as layering the beads to create a lifted texture in specific areas- this reminds me of the coral reef and how the coral has intense texture with patches of risen, course, bead-like spots. I wanted to follow the silhouette that was already there, as far as the wave, so painting with beads was quite enlightening.
Once all of the beads were secure and the blending looked right, I finished off the piece by adding a layer of resin to the canvas. After letting the resin cure for 24 hours, I was so pleased to see the texture of the beads, especially at the very bottom of the painting, being accentuated. Art is all about exploration and discovery, so giving this painting a spa day was a wonderful learning moment for me.
Detail Shots ↓
You can see the fine beads and their float-like qualities in these detail shots! I am so happy with how this turned out and love the grainy texture it gives. The salt-water vibes are real!!!
In this photo, you can truly see how beautiful the resin reflects against light!! I don't resin every abstract I paint, but when I do it is always a joy to see the final product. A resin coat creates a glossy layer that gives the piece a new dimension. With this finish, you get to experience something new from each angle you view the piece from.
Blending the bead colors was a challenge, but I managed to make the bleeding of colors be seamless. YAY!
In this photo, you can see the chunks of beads at the bottom (dark blue) that I layered!
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