Creating My Water Nymph Mandala Painting

I realised that I haven’t shared one of my favourite creations that I painted earlier this year, which was very slack of me! So, I thought it was time to take you behind the scenes of how it all came together!

I’ve always loved working on round canvases—they have a way of inviting you to think differently about space and balance. *Water Nymph Mandala*, was created on a 60cm round stretched canvas and combines a few of my favourite techniques. The centerpiece of the painting is actually a design from one of my adult colouring books, which focuses on medieval people. I spent some time carefully colouring this figure, giving her an ethereal, water-like quality. Once I was happy with the final look, I had it professionally printed. This allowed me to adhere it onto the canvas without losing any detail or vibrancy.

Before applying the print, I painted the entire canvas in a rich teal—one of my favourite colours because of its calm yet striking nature. After placing the print in the center, I used modeling paste around the edges to blend the paper seamlessly into the canvas. This was an important step to ensure there were no visible paper edges, allowing the artwork to feel like one cohesive piece.

Next, I glazed over both the print and the canvas, which was crucial for blending the image into the background and taking away the “printed” look. This gave the piece a more uniform texture and added a soft sheen that ties everything together.

From there, I moved on to the mandala surrounding the water nymph. I painted the mandala design in teal and gold, using the metallic tones to create a sense of flow and movement around the figure. Finally, I highlighted her hair in gold metallic paint, which not only adds depth but gives her an otherworldly, shimmering quality—perfect for a water nymph!

I’m excited to say this piece will be on display (and for sale!) at the Bunbury Catholic College’s Art ExtraordinaireCatholic College’s Art Extraordinaire event on the 11th October. I can’t wait to share it with everyone and see what people think!

This project was a joy to create, and it reminded me how much I enjoy blending my different creative processes—colouring, painting, and working with textures—into one artwork. If you’re attending the event, make sure to stop by and check it out!