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Unfinished Studio | Artist

@_unfinishedstudio

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• Self-taught artist finding my voice in public
• Textured art, Seascapes & creative experiments
• Originals + commissions
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As I worked on this post, I realised that this page isn’t really just about the paintings.

It’s also about becoming: learning, experimenting, changing my mind, overthinking things, trying anyway, and slowly figuring out what kind of artist I want to be.

So this is probably the clearest introduction I can give you to what you’ll find here.

Some of it will be polished. Some of it absolutely won’t be.

And I think I’m okay with that now.

Which one of these feels most like you? I’d love to hear what you’re becoming, exploring, or figuring out too—leave a comment and let’s connect!
🎨✨

[art account, self taught artist, emerging artist, artist journey, finding my artistic style, artistic voice, creative growth, textured art, textured paintings, textured seascapes, seascape artist, acrylic painting, mixed media art, contemporary art, original artwork, art process, painting process, artist studio, studio life, creative process, art inspiration, art experimentation, learning to paint, beginner artist journey, perfectionism in art, creative confidence, art and mindset, nature inspired art, coastal art, tactile art, art lover, art collector, home decor art, wall art inspiration, original paintings, UK artist, Instagram artist] by @_unfinishedstudio

Ocean’s Embrace

30 x 20 inches
Mixed media — Acrylic, Modelling Paste & Sand Texture on Canvas
Original artwork — one of a kind. No prints and no reproductions.
Available for Sale

Picture this ⬇️

A guest arrives at your coastal holiday home after hours of travelling. They put their bags down, walk into the room and take in the details you’ve spent months getting right. The natural textures, the soft coastal palette and that sense of calm.

then their eyes settle here.

not because it’s the biggest thing in the room but because it completes that feeling.

The feeling that they’re somewhere different now, somewhere slower, somewhere closer to the water.

That’s the role great artwork plays in a coastal interior. It doesn’t just fill a wall, it shapes the atmosphere of the entire space.

Ocean’s Embrace was inspired by a coastline viewed from above, where turquoise water meets warm shoreline and familiar landscapes become almost abstract. The aerial perspective creates a sense of escape, while the textured wall art draws you closer. Built layer by layer in acrylic, modelling paste and silica sand, every detail has been created by hand to capture the movement of the sea and the quiet stillness of the land.

This piece was made for spaces like:

* a light filled living room in a coastal Airbnb
* a boutique holiday cottage bedroom with natural textures and linen tones
* a beach house entrance that sets the tone the moment guests walk in
* a seaside retreat lounge where the ocean is always in view
* an interior design project that needs one piece to anchor the whole room

wherever it hangs, it brings more than just colour to a wall. It brings a feeling.

The kind of artwork guests remember and becomes part of their stay.

This piece exists only once. If you can already picture it in your coastal home, holiday let or interior design project, send me a message. 🩵

[coastal art, textured wall art, original artwork, seascape painting, mixed media art, coastal home decor, coastal home styling, modern coastal interiors design, coastal luxury, luxury interiors, coastal aesthetic, interior styling, airbnb decor, beach house styling, coastal living, coastal inspiration] by @_unfinishedstudio

🌊🩵

[painting process, textured tides, artist growth, acrylic painting, seascape painting, art commission, commission an artist, coastal art, textured wall art, mixed media art, textured seascape, process over perfection, art journey, artist life, painting progress, original artwork, storytelling through art, coastal home decor, coastal interiors, interior design inspiration, quiet luxury art, modern interiors, art for sale, seascape painting, shoreline, painting process, textured wall art, seascape art, beach, original artwork, acrylic painting, hand painted art, coastal home decor, coastal interiors, coastal seascape, quiet luxury art, organic modern interiors, statement wall art, interior design inspiration, holiday let decor, coastal airbnb decor, beach house art] by @_unfinishedstudio

I know I’m not actually ruining it.

But there’s always a tiny moment before the first layer of paint goes on where it feels exactly like that.

You spend ages getting the sketch to a point where it finally feels right, and then the next step is to cover it up and trust that you can find your way back.

This portrait is entering that stage now.

Still very much in the awkward middle.
Still trusting the process.
And still slightly suspicious of it.

#unfinishedstudio

[cat portrait, pet portrait artist, acrylic painting process, self taught artist, underpainting, artist process, painting in progress, behind the scenes art, process over perfection] by @_unfinishedstudio

My Dear Rocky,

I’m not sure you’ll ever understand just how much you mean to me. I know your face so well.

That little pink nose.
Those amber eyes.
The exact look you give me when you want something.
The way you follow me around the studio as though whatever I’m doing must surely concern you too.

And yet, painting you made me realise how much of you I had never really looked at.

Every mistake felt strangely personal because this wasn’t just a painting I wanted to get right.
It was you.

And somewhere between all that trying and failing and trying again, you appeared. Not perfectly. But enough that I looked at the canvas and thought, there you are.

I don’t know where my art will take me or what kind of artist I’ll eventually become. But I know this will always be the first portrait that really mattered to me.

The one that made me realise that sometimes painting something you love is really just another way of spending time loving it.

My dear Rocky 🐈‍⬛

You were my first 🐾

— Mom 🩶

#unfinishedstudio

[self taught artist, first pet portrait, cat portrait painting, acrylic pet portrait, painting my cat, pet portrait process, acrylic painting process, painting transformation, from sketch to painting, beginner artist journey, learning to paint, realistic cat painting, painting fur, original cat artwork, artist journey, creative process, painting someone you love, pet portrait artist, behind the artwork, Rocco] by @_unfinishedstudio

Turns out sketching Romeo comes with a very strict approval process.

Rocco supervised the sketch from start to finish, stepped in when something looked wrong, inspected every detail up close and then decided the final drawing was not yet cleared for public viewing.

He takes quality control very seriously when his brother is involved.

So this is the beginning of my next cat portrait, currently progressing under very close supervision.

[cat portrait, pet portrait artist, acrylic pet portrait, sketching process, cat painting, artist process, self taught artist, behind the scenes art]

#unfinishedstudio by @_unfinishedstudio

I think this is probably the most accurate way to describe what I’m doing here.

I’m still figuring out what I’m drawn to, what I want to keep exploring, what feels like me, and what doesn’t.

Some pieces feel like a step forward. Some feel like experiments. Some just teach me what I want to try next.

But I think that’s the part I’m enjoying most, not having it all figured out yet.

So if you like watching the process unfold in real time, you’re very much in the right place.

#unfinishedstudio

[artist journey, self taught artist, art process, emerging artist, behind the scenes art, creative process, acrylic painting, artist becoming, studio practice, original art] by @_unfinishedstudio

A little look at how my Rocky came to life, one layer at a time. 🥹🤍

From the first pencil lines to the very last whiskers

#unfinishedstudio

[cat portrait, pet portrait artist, acrylic pet portrait, sketching, process over perfection, cat painting, artist process, self taught artist, behind the scenes art] by @_unfinishedstudio

Every artist needs a creative team. Mine just happens to have paws. 🐾

Romeo and Rocco have been around for pretty much all of it. They sit next to me while I paint, inspect new canvases, walk into shots, demand attention at the worst possible time and occasionally remind me that I’ve probably been working for too long.

They have absolutely no respect for deadlines, personal space or wet paint 🥲 but somehow, the studio wouldn’t feel quite like mine without them.🩶

So I suppose this makes it official!
Meet the Unfinished Studio assistants.
🐾🐈‍⬛

Frequently asleep.
Always somehow involved.
Paid in chicken, cooked to order.

#unfinishedstudio

[artist life, studio cats, creative process, artist studio, self taught artist, behind the scenes, studio assistant, cats of Instagram, cat lover, art studio, creative life, painting process, Unfinished Studio] by @_unfinishedstudio

#unfinishedstudio

[self taught artist, learning to paint, beginner artist journey, acrylic painting, acrylic painting techniques, pet portrait painting, cat portrait painting, painting fur, learning through practice, creative process, art practice, artist process, painting mistakes, artistic development, learning art] by @_unfinishedstudio

The palette: trust me
Me: nahhh

And somehow… Rocky came out of that😅

Grey fur, white fur, amber eyes, pink nose and about seventeen colours that had absolutely no business looking like him until they were on the canvas.

One of my favourite things about painting is how little sense the middle of it can make.

The palette vs. the piece 🎨

#unfinishedstudio

[acrylic painting, pet portrait painting, cat portrait painting, painting my cat, acrylic colour mixing, artist palette, painting process, behind the painting, self taught artist, process over perfection, art, beginner artist journey, learning to paint, acrylic on canvas, creative process, pet portrait art, cat art, Rocco, My Dear Rocky] by @_unfinishedstudio

My Dear Rocky 🤍

My first ever pet portrait.

After weeks of sharing little glimpses; the sketch, the mistakes, the endless shades of grey, the tiny breakthroughs and the very opinionated muse himself, I can finally show you what they were all leading to.

Him.

I don’t think I could have chosen a more meaningful face for my first.

There are paintings you make to practise.
Paintings you make because you’re curious.
And then, occasionally, there are paintings that become something you know you’ll keep for the rest of your life.

This is one of those.

My Dear Rocky.
This one isn’t for sale. He’s staying with me 🐾🩶

My first pet portrait.
My favourite little mew-se.
And officially, part of the Unfinished Studio story 🎨

P.S. The subject’s review can be seen at approximately “1…” 😸

#unfinishedstudio

[self-taught artist, first pet portrait, cat portrait painting, painting my cat, acrylic pet portrait, cat portrait, pet portrait art, acrylic painting, original artwork, artistic development, beginner artist journey, learning to paint, artist journey, cat art, cat lovers, artist studio, creative process, pet portrait reveal, painting reveal, Rocco, cat mom, My Dear Rocky] by @_unfinishedstudio