Why you should break the rules of mixed media [21] - Alice Sheridan: contemporary artist

Our main topic was inspired by a question from a listener, who asked ‘why on earth would you use oil pastel with acrylics!” He went on to say “Surely this will lead to problems later in the longevity of the paintings? Oil and water just do not mix after all!”

This week

Louise talks about coping with busy open events as an introvert, and Alice is venturing into outsourcing as she prepares for her open studios. You can find out about the Artists at Home weekend 14-16th June here, including all the artists taking part and how to visit.

When do you experiment with new materials?

Art Juice podcast experiment with mixed media

This question launches a wide-ranging discussion into the way we use materials and the risks we are willing to take. We also ask whether materials experimentation should be reserved for certain times, or is it OK to experiment mid-painting.

We share some of the mistakes we’ve made with various media, and we debunk some common concerns. At the root of it all, we agree that oil and water don’t mix – and we think that’s the fun of using them together! We both believe that risk-taking has been a key factor in our artistic development and we share a belief that you can’t know in advance which media or technique will be a catalyst for new adventures – the chance element is surely part of the journey?

But we also make no claim to technical expertise and cannot promise that our paintings will last hundreds of years. In the end, we feel the trade-off between utmost creativity and guaranteed longevity is worth it – you may not agree and that is totally fine. We all make these decisions for ourselves.