Boundaries in a Diptych

It started out as an experiment. It ended up as an expression of boundaries, vulnerability and agency.

The experiment

My current favourite ‘art as play’ activity is paint pours. I have been experimenting with different techniques and find it really calming to watch the paint flow and see the patterns that emerge.

I used the same palette for two canvases, learning from the first attempt and adjusting my methods. I was happy enough with the results, but knew I’d eventually paint over them. The benefit was in the process – playing and learning – not the final result.

I’d seen artists working with negative space – laying down colour, then painting around defined shapes in a solid block, letting the colour show only within those forms. I had wanted to give that a go at some point, and these paint pours created the perfect opportunity for that.

I came up with the concept of painting similar shapes to those featured in my collages, mirroring the shapes on the second canvas, and painting one background in white and the other black.

I viewed it as an experiment, which helped me to hold the process and artwork lightly. I didn’t really know what I was doing – I was just having a go, based off what I’d seen in others’ art. I wasn’t too precious about ‘ruining the canvas’ and accepted that I might not be happy with the final result. That said, I still hoped that it would turn out how I’d imagined. I’m impatient and didn’t want to have to redo the whole thing if it didn’t work out.

Feelings, not just images

As the concept solidified in my mind, it became about more than just a technical experiment. Yes, I was curious about how the black vs white impacted the overall image, but I had a growing sense of what I wanted to feel in the artwork.

I never wanted it to be about day/night, light/dark, happy/sad and definitely not good/bad. I didn’t want them to be opposing, and I didn’t want the black to be experienced as something negative. I was hoping it would be more like two different expressions of the same thing. A depiction of the same core and being comfortable in myself across different states of being.

It felt like two equally valid internal states.

I had no idea if I could pull that off – technically, creatively, emotionally. I knew what I wanted to do and had a go.

White vs Black: Two modes of protection

Considering it’s an experimental artwork, I’m pretty happy with how this turned out. Would I do some things differently next time? Definitely. But I enjoyed the process, particularly painting the black and white as it required a lot more precision than I usually paint with, and it was really grounding for my nervous system.

As I sat with the finished pieces, I was surprised by the depth of meaning that emerged.

The white canvas feels soft, reflective. Because the colour ghosts through the white, it says: There’s more here if you look closely. It feels like an invitation for deeper engagement. It gives a sense of vulnerability and transparency without being too revealing.

The coloured shapes feel more vibrant against the black. The black is framing and supporting them, but also covering what is beneath the surface. It feels intentional; it’s not hiding anything out of fear or secrecy. It’s protecting something sacred.

The black says: There’s more here, but this is what I’m offering you and no more.

The protection of the white is a gentle boundary. The protection of the black is a strong boundary.

Neither is defensive or built on shame. They are intentional, regulated choices.

Both the black and the white deserve to be respected.

The surprise: boundaries

This artwork is an expression of boundaries – both physically and at an embodied level. Painting the negative space is about the boundaries around the shapes. This technique required me to define the edges, decide what would be covered and what would be revealed, and honour the shapes by protecting their outline.

Throughout my life, so much masking has been out of fear and insecurity. Scanning the environment to determine what is safe to reveal and what must be hidden. Minimising my needs and self-silencing without any awareness of doing so.

But now I feel more confident in who I am and what I have to offer.

Instead of asking, Is it okay to show my true self? I’m now asking, Who gets access, and to what depth?

Is this process still a work in progress? Absolutely. But the boundaries are a lot clearer than they used to be.

A closing reflection

This artwork started out as a technical experiment, with no certainty of the outcome. It was about holding ideas lightly, accepting that it might not work, and saying Let’s see what happens if I try.

And somehow it became boundaries in a diptych.

It moved from a vague feeling I couldn’t quite name, to a surprise insight and integration of something I am continuing to learn and grow in.

As with the white paint, I’m willing to be vulnerable and share deeper parts of myself. At the same time, some parts of my inner world are just for myself, and I’m learning that hiding from fear and choosing privacy are not the same thing.

I wonder what your black and white look – and feel – like.

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