When the skies opened up, we didn’t run- we carried a 3×4 ft finished painting straight into the storm.
There’s something wildly freeing about understanding your materials well enough to trust them. A properly stretched canvas isn’t just fabric, it’s tension. The cotton or linen is pulled tight across stretcher bars, and when it’s exposed to a bit of moisture, those fibers actually swell slightly. Then, as it dries, they contract again, often pulling even tighter across the frame. It’s the same principle conservators use when they lightly mist the back of a loose canvas to re-tighten it- so yes, a little rain can quite literally sharpen the surface.
And acrylics? Once they’re fully cured, they’re essentially a flexible plastic film. Water-resistant, durable, and built to withstand way more than people expect. That glossy or matte skin you see on the surface is protecting the pigment underneath, meaning a passing downpour isn’t going to wash your work away, it just becomes part of the experience.
Pair that with a well-oiled easel that won’t warp or seize, a treated wood palette that won’t absorb water and buckle, and tools that are designed to live a little… and suddenly the weather feels less like a risk and more like a collaborator.
And honestly, that’s part of the joy. Being the kind of painter who doesn’t mind getting soaked. Who shows up in durable shoes, ready to stand in it, to laugh through it, to let the moment imprint itself not just on the canvas, but on the process.
So thank you to the incredible team for having me for such a fun, wildly memorable styled shoot—
@danielletowlephotography @schillingweddingplanning @raspberryplainmanor , you all don’t just create events, you curate memories
