#42: The Invisible Layers of a Painting
When someone looks at a finished painting, they see a surface. They see colour, form, image, and mood. But what they don’t see are the layers underneath — the ones that made it possible.
Every painting has them. And without them, the surface wouldn’t exist.
Layers You Can’t See
In the studio right now, I’m doing a lot of work that will never make it into a frame or onto a gallery wall. I’ve been testing paints and matt varnishes on Perspex, experimenting with how they behave, how they dry, how they interact. The sheet I’m using is sacrificial — covered in streaks, swatches, and uneven coats — but it’s essential.
The viewer may never know this part happened, but these experiments are what allow the final painting to live.
Foundations Matter
It’s easy to think of a painting as the final image — the part that hangs on the wall. But every finished piece is propped up by layers of trial and error, underpainting, failed sketches, and hidden decisions.
Sometimes it’s technical: which varnish protects the surface without dulling the colour?
Sometimes it’s personal: how long did I spend staring, deciding, doubting before the brush finally moved?
These unseen parts aren’t waste. They’re the foundation.
More Than Paint
Even beyond the technical, there are layers of thought and time built into every artwork. The afternoons spent trying and failing. The mornings spent returning with fresh eyes. The moments of frustration that push the work somewhere new.
The audience only sees the surface — but the depth of the painting comes from all those invisible steps.
Respecting the Unseen
Right now, I’m deep in the invisible stage. Testing, experimenting, inventing new processes. It feels messy, sometimes frustrating, but it’s necessary. And when the final paintings do emerge, they’ll carry all of this with them, even if no one else can see it.
That’s part of the beauty of painting: the surface is just the tip of something much larger. And those invisible layers — the ones only the artist knows — are what make the work truly whole.
.M.
Be real.
Make art.
If you’d like to learn more about my creative process or see my latest work, feel free to reach out or check out the rest of my website.