Why I Keep Using Materials That Don't Behave

Some of the materials in my studio were never designed to make paintings. That's exactly why I keep reaching for them.

Predictability Has Its Limits

Traditional painting materials can do extraordinary things. But I've always been curious about what happens when materials from outside the traditional studio enter the process. Fiberglass resin. Wall plaster. WD-40. Spray paint. Industrial cleaners and solvents. They weren't created to cooperate on canvas, and they don't always do what I expect. That unpredictability is part of their value to me.

The Material Gets a Vote

I can choose where to pour resin, how to move paint, or when to introduce a chemical reaction. After that, the material gets a vote. Resin finds its own path. Solvents separate pigments. Plaster fractures. Paint moves into areas I didn't plan. My job changes from controlling the surface to responding to it. That response often takes the painting somewhere I wouldn't have reached with a brush alone.

Accidents Need Editing

I don't believe an unexpected reaction automatically makes something art. Surprise is only the beginning. I still have to decide what belongs, what needs to be covered, what should be scraped away, and where the composition needs control. The process is a conversation between accident and intention. Too much control and the work can become predictable. Too little and it becomes random.

Why I Keep Coming Back

I use these materials because they keep me curious. Even after working with them repeatedly, there is always the possibility that heat, humidity, timing, surface, or another material will change the result. That means I can't simply repeat yesterday's painting. And for me, that's exactly the point.