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Artist Unearths Intricate Hand-Carved Designs From Dozens of Layers of Acrylic Paint

By Margherita Cole on January 23, 2021

Multidisciplinary artist Hannah Jensen uses her printmaking background to render intricate masterpieces with her own twist. She uses a board that is painted with 40 to 80 layers of various shades of acrylic paint as the ground for traditional printmaking techniques including intaglio, etching, and carving. When the paint is peeled away, a picture full of depth, texture, and shadow is revealed.

Jensen received her formal training in printmaking from the Auckland University of Technology, however, she did not merge it with painting until embarking on her own creative practice. Inspiration for her visual language includes her natural surroundings in New Zealand. Birds, flowers, and other animals are often the stars of her bespoke pieces, and the subject matter determines how many layers of acrylic paint are on a given board. While some of her topographical carvings reveal several different hues, others keep to a more limited color scheme. But one thing remains the same; the closer you look at Jenson's works, the more beautiful details you'll find.

Scroll down to see more amazing carvings by Jensen, and follow the artist on Instagram to keep up to date with her latest projects.