Step 1: From Signature “Pink Bloom” to Mediterranean Inspiration
My visual language often begins with my signature “Pink Bloom” style – soft, floral-inspired work that reflects femininity, emotion, and growth. It has become a recognisable part of my artistic identity and the starting point for many of my creations.
This clock was originally meant to follow that path. The base had been sitting in my studio for almost two years, waiting for a Pink Bloom concept that never fully arrived.
The shift happened after a day by the Mediterranean Sea. The turquoise water and intense natural light completely replaced the floral idea, redirecting the piece into a new direction. It felt less like abandoning my signature style and more like expanding it into something more elemental and structured.
As with most of my work, the final vision only became clear after midnight – when the idea finally settled into its true form.
Step 2: Building the Base for Clarity
The foundation of this piece was created using basic black acrylic paint. This choice was both practical and intentional.
The deep black base provides strong contrast, ensuring that the clock digits remain clear and easy to read even once the textured layers are added. At the same time, it acts as a grounding surface for the entire composition, allowing the turquoise and gold tones to stand out more vividly.
In mixed media work, the base layer is often what holds everything together visually. Here, the black acrylic creates both structure and balance, giving the later textures space to breathe without overwhelming the functionality of the clock.
Step 3: Napkin Layering for Texture (Decoupage Relief Technique)
The main texture in this piece was built using a mix of white craft glue and water, applied with thin napkin layers. This simple combination became the foundation of the relief effect.
By diluting the glue, I was able to create a more fluid medium that allowed the napkins to soften, fold, and naturally form texture on the surface. Each layer was carefully placed and shaped, gradually building an organic relief rather than a rigid structure.
This technique gives a subtle, tactile depth without heaviness, allowing the surface to remain delicate while still visually rich. The result is a soft, layered texture that feels almost carved by time rather than constructed.
Step 4: Building the Mediterranean Colour Depth
Once the textured base was set, I began developing the colour layer using a combination of alcohol ink (Caribbean tone), acrylic paints in blue and black, and gold acrylic accents.
The alcohol ink was the first to flow into the surface, creating organic movement and fluid transitions that echo the unpredictability of water. I then layered acrylic blues and deep black to build contrast and depth, allowing some areas to feel calm and translucent while others became darker and more intense.
Finally, touches of gold acrylic were added to lift the composition and introduce light reflection. These highlights bring warmth into the cooler palette, mimicking the way sunlight interacts with the sea.
Step 5: Adding Digits and UV Resin Sealing
Before sealing the surface, I carefully added the clock digits, positioning them so they remained clear and readable within the textured composition. Their placement was planned in advance to ensure balance between the artistic flow and the functionality of the clock.
Once the digits were secured, I applied a few thin layers of UV resin over the entire surface. This step unified the piece visually while also protecting the delicate napkin texture underneath. The resin enhanced the depth of the colours – especially the Caribbean blues and gold accents – giving the surface a luminous, almost water-like finish.
After application, the piece was cured under UV light until fully hardened, locking in both the artwork and the applied elements into a durable glossy layer.
Step 6: Assembling the Clock Mechanism
The final step was transforming the artwork into a functioning object by installing the clock mechanism at the back.
This required precise alignment to ensure the hands moved freely without touching the raised textured surface. Once fitted, the mechanism completed the piece both technically and conceptually – turning layered material, colour, and texture into a living timepiece.
What began as a mixed media experiment became a fully functional wall clock, where art and time now exist in the same form.
Final Note
If you would like to see the full transformation of this piece, you can watch the process video on my YouTube channel, where I share each stage of the creation in more detail.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HNEXwJOh1XM
I hope this technique inspires you to explore your own mixed media ideas and experiment with napkin layering, texture building, and colour in new and unexpected ways – opening the door to many different creative possibilities and unique creations.