I have always been fond of making sketches. Because of this, I was advised to enroll in a Saturday art workshop around 2010.

I started with the very basics, learning how to hold the pen properly and understanding how to apply pressure, from light to heavy. I learned how the pressure of your hand can affects the way you create lines and shading, and how these simple techniques can bring a sketch to life.

From there, I started exploring different mediums: pencils, oil pastels, acrylics, and oils. Among the four, I am most comfortable playing with oil paints. I find them easier and more forgiving to work with because they take longer to dry, allowing me more time to blend, adjust, or scrape off areas that I want to improve.

Acrylics, on the other hand, dry much faster. Once you apply the paint to the canvas, you have to work quickly because it dries up relatively fast. While this can make blending and correcting mistakes more challenging, one advantage is that you can easily paint over an area once the previous layer has dried.

My Approach to Art

I am not a professional artist. I simply enjoy painting and making sketches whenever I feel inspired. I don’t force myself to create when I’m not in the mood. Instead, I wait until I feel the desire to like create again. For me, art is something I enjoy doing freely and at my own pace.

An Unexpected Painting

Not long ago, a colleague asked me to make a painting so he could display in his home. This abstract painting wasn’t really my original plan.

My first vision was a cottage house surrounded by lots of flowers. I started working on it, but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I wasn’t also feeling excited about it, so I decided to stop.

Later, I started again another vision – a yellow and green background with white roses. Again, the painting did not turn out the way I had imagined.

Experimenting with Acrylics

So, I bought another canvas. This time, I decided to experiment with acrylics. I no longer had a particular image in my mind. Instead, I simply grabbed different colors and started mixing and layering them – red, orange, violet, yellow ochre, prussian blue, light blue, salmon pink, black, and white.

The colors gradually build up on the canvas. Some areas became thick with paint as I created vertical colors and patches, layering one color over another. If I didn’t like the placement of a particular color, I would cover it with another. If I still didn’t like it, I would add another layer.

I simply kept going until I was satisfied with what I saw.

Finding Freedom In Color

There was no strict plan, it was simply an experiment. Through the process, I realized that this is my art. I have the freedom to express myself through colors, regardless of the medium I am using.

Still, if you asked me which medium I prefer, I would still choose oils. Acrylics and I are not exactly best friends, but I am glad I gave them a try.

When I finally stepped back and looked at the finished painting, I had to admit that it wasn’t anything extraordinary. It was simply an abstract painting with vertical colors and patches. It may look messy to other people, but I like how it turned out. I like the colors, and I appreciate the painting for what it is.

My colleague appreciated the painting and brought it home to display. And perhaps, that is enough.

The Layers of Life

When I looked at the painting, I started thinking about all the layers. There was so many of them. One color covered another, and each new layer change the appearance of the layer underneath it. Some parts that I didn’t like were covered with something new.

Somehow, the canvas reminded me of life. There were days when I was walking in the dark. There were times when life was full of colors, and there were also days when everything became dark again.

Life, just like this painting, It has so many layers, Some layers are smooth, some are beautiful and some are painful. There are moments we would rather forget and moments we wish we could erase, but they are still there. They become part of the whole picture.

The Beauty of the Whole Picture

As I reflected on this painting, I began to think about how those layers add richness to who I am. Every experience, every mistake, every happy moment, every difficult season adds something to the person we eventually become.

Maybe I am not meant to erase every layer I don’t like. Maybe I am meant to keep adding to the canvas. And if I take time to reflect and appreciate everything I have been through, I may begin to see myself differently.

Layers don’t define me. The whole picture does. Layers add depth and spice to life.

When I look at this canvas, I see something that allowed me to express what I couldn’t put into words. I see colors that I enjoyed playing with. I see layers, and I see pieces of myself within them, And that is what makes this painting special- it is me.

And just like this painting, perhaps our beauty is not found in having a smooth and perfect brushstroke. Perhaps it is found in the process, in patience, in realization, and in learning to appreciate the whole picture.

And I think that is greatest masterpiece of all.

© Eorie Faye 2026.