My Journey in Fluid Art

I started experimenting with Fluid Art about four years ago, at the height of the Covid Pandemic. It was first introduced to me by my friend and mentor Frinee Rodriguez, a talented Dominican artist I connected with online. The medium resonated with me immediately. I started experimenting with resin, vases, coasters, trays, angels and more. I have always had an inquisitive nature and I felt the need for greater knowledge of the medium. Given that my mentor was in the Dominican Republic and busy with projects of her own, I had to assume the education myself.

Like many beginners I looked to tutorials on YouTube. There, I found three amazing artists (Molly Leach, Rinske Dounna and Olga Soby), but even then, my education felt limited. One day, while watching one of Molly’s tutorials, she promoted a course on Acrylic Pouring Medium, so I took the chance and registered. This course taught me a great deal. It broke the concept down from A to Z and taught me fundamental techniques, like how to mix and use distinct color combinations to achieve a higher form of abstract expression. After this experience, my art improved tremendously but there were plenty more techniques to learn. I took more courses on Acrylic Pouring techniques like bloom, swipe, Dutch pour, and embellishment.

By this point I was head over heels with Fluid Art and the amount of possibility it offered me. In 2023 I accumulated several pieces, and I had no idea what to do with them. It was suggested to me to post some of my original art on Facebook. It took a lot of courage for me to post my first piece there, but the response was surprisingly positive. Soon after I was invited by another amazing Fluid Artist, Anita White, to be part of her Facebook group with hundreds of artists. This motivated me to keep posting artwork I had done over the past three years. A few weeks later I was nominated for the Artist in the Spotlight post on Anita’s page. I received lots of likes and great feedback from other artists and I was invited to other Facebook pages to post my work, which I was more than happy to do.

After becoming more comfortable on the internet and expanding to Instagram, my daughter suggested creating a website to make my art for sale online. So, my husband and I went ahead and contacted a friend of hers from college she recommended. So far, she has done an excellent job developing the page and guiding us throughout the process. After a period of few months building the site, we sent a private link to friends and family to see how they would respond. I sold some art through this initial wave and once again received encouraging feedback, as private commissions for new pieces.

Why my love affair with Fluid Art? Firstly, the process of experimenting with new techniques, mixing colors, and preparing my canvases brings me great joy and relaxation. I find it immensely therapeutic. Secondly, in Fluid Art the possibilities are limitless. You can use the same medium, the same paint colors, the same technique, and every time you will get different results, therefore every piece is one of a kind.

The goal for this year is to continue improving and finally launch my site for the public. Everything you see on the page is for sale. There is a variety of abstract art that make great decorations for the home and fantastic art gifts for others. For more information on my process or to browse and purchase my art, please check out cheasart.com and let us know what you think.

Mercedes Castillo Terrell (AKA Chea)