Golden Heavy Body Titanium White is the number one key to my painting process. (Followed closely by Golden Fluid Anthraquinone Blue, but that’s for another post another time.) 

Here’s why this white is so important.

First, I let my inner child out to fill up the canvas with as many marks and colors as they want. It’s like going into a trance, avoiding critique or too much consideration of composition or color theory or outright clashing—following my mantra of “pleasure over perfection” and feeling everything that comes up in the process.

Then I step back, see what I have to work with, and reach for the tub of white. 

I use the next layer of white to bring intention to the beautiful mess I made before, covering up what doesn’t work and highlighting what does, as if I’m creating new white canvas space for more play (all while preserving the history of what was felt and expressed in the layers underneath). 

This particular white is so deliciously opaque that I’m able to slather it layer upon layer, in the ebb and flow of chaos and control. It brings a touch of texture, a lot of brightness, and a cohesion that ties the piece together and links it to everything else I paint.

Allowing myself to use a LOT of this stuff, not fearing about the cost, was a turning point in my self-confidence as an artist—knowing that I can invest in quality materials and use them in joyful abundance because these paintings are valuable and will last a lifetime and beyond in homes where they are treasured. Buying the bucket of paint may have been the moment I stepped over the invisible line from hobbyist to professional artist in my heart, and every big brushful I scoop reinforces that faith in myself.

P.S. I’m planning on sharing my method of painting with your inner child in a live, 4-week online course in the coming months! Who’s in? Subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to know when it launches!

P.P.S. If you buy through one of my affiliate links above, it won’t cost you a penny more, but I do get a tiny commission. That means you get great, vetted supplies AND the satisfaction of knowing you supported an emerging artist today. #win!