Every painting begins with play and experimentation. Technically, I'm a mixed media artist, which means that I use a variety of materials to layer and build history on the surface of each painting. I like to keep my hand out of my work as much as possible, so I use different tools to make marks and apply paint. Each painting is built up of several layers, which become gradually more refined as the piece evolves and takes shape. Collage is integrated, along with paint and other media, covered up, then sanded back to excavate those under-layers. This process is repeated multiple times. Once completed, the artwork is sealed with gloss medium and varnish to protect and intensify the colour, followed by a layer of hand-buffed cold wax that creates a beautiful encaustic-like patina. The layers are everything. They create history, tell the story, reveal direction shifts and the risks taken. I know that what's underneath is as important as what's immediately visible.

Website: BarbaraReade.com
Instagram: @bdreade_art
Email: bdreadeart@gmail.com