What Is Impasto Painting?
If you've ever stood close to one of my original wildlife paintings and noticed the paint rising off the canvas in thick, sculptural ridges — that's impasto. The word comes from the Italian impastare, meaning "to knead" or "to paste," and it perfectly describes the technique: applying paint so thickly that it holds the mark of the brush or palette knife, creating a three-dimensional surface that catches light in ways a flat painting simply cannot.
As a Canadian wildlife artist working primarily in acrylics, impasto has become my signature. It's how I translate the energy of a great blue heron lifting off a wetland, or the shimmer of light on a lake at dusk, into something you can almost feel with your hands.
Why Impasto for Wildlife Art?
Wildlife is anything but flat. A heron's feathers have layers. Cattails bend and overlap. Water reflects and refracts. When I paint original wildlife art, I want the surface of the canvas to echo the complexity of the natural world I'm depicting.
Impasto lets me do that. A thick stroke of titanium white can become the glint of sunlight on a wing. A palette knife dragged through wet paint can suggest the texture of bark or the ripple of a current. The paint itself becomes part of the story.
My Process: From Reference to Canvas
Every original acrylic impasto painting begins with time spent in nature. I live and work in Caesarea, Ontario, surrounded by the wetlands, forests, and waterways that inspire my work. I photograph wildlife in their natural habitats — great blue herons wading in shallow water, songbirds perched in winter branches, the quiet drama of a Canadian wetland at golden hour.
Back in the studio, I work from these references to build a composition. I start with a toned canvas and block in the major shapes with fluid paint. Then the real work begins: building up layers of thick acrylic, working wet-into-wet, adding texture with both brushes and palette knives. Some areas of my paintings are built up over many sessions, with each layer adding depth and dimension.
The Tools of Impasto
My studio staples for impasto work include:
- Heavy body acrylics — these hold their shape when applied thickly, unlike fluid acrylics which level out
- Palette knives — for spreading, scraping, and creating sharp-edged texture
- Stiff bristle brushes — which leave visible brush marks in the paint
- Acrylic mediums — I sometimes add a gel medium to extend the paint and increase its body without losing colour intensity
Collecting Original Impasto Wildlife Art
One of the things collectors often tell me is that my paintings look different in person than in photographs — and that's entirely true of impasto work. The texture creates shadows and highlights that shift as you move around the piece or as the light in your room changes throughout the day. It's a living quality that reproductions simply can't capture.
If you're considering adding original wildlife art to your home or collection, I'd encourage you to view my available originals. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind acrylic impasto painting, signed and ready to hang. I also offer a selection of signed limited edition prints for those who love the imagery but prefer a more accessible price point.
Browse my original paintings or signed prints — and if you have questions about a specific piece, I'm always happy to hear from you.
A Note on Caring for Impasto Paintings
Because impasto paintings have a raised surface, they require a little extra care. Avoid touching the paint surface, keep them out of direct sunlight to prevent fading, and dust gently with a soft, dry brush rather than a cloth. Properly cared for, an acrylic impasto painting will last for generations.
Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about my process. If you have questions about a specific technique or piece, feel free to reach out — I love talking about the work.
— Michelle Pashko, Canadian Wildlife Artist