Behind the Canvas: What Happens Before a Painting Is Born

When you look at a finished painting, it feels whole—complete, confident, inevitable.

But before a painting is born, there is a space most people never see. A silent territory of doubt, imagination, searching, and spirit.

At Oksana Chashkina Shop, we believe that art is not simply made. It emerges—from a place just beyond the visible.

Every brushstroke you see today carries the echoes of everything that happened before the first mark touched the canvas.

Here’s a glimpse into that invisible journey.

1. Before the First Brushstroke: The Silent Waiting

Every painting begins long before paint touches the surface.

There’s a moment of stillness, of almost-listening.

Sometimes the artist waits days—or weeks—for a feeling, a memory, or a question to rise strong enough to reach for the brush.

This space isn't about technique. It’s about presence.

Before creation, there is receptivity. A readiness to open a door into the unknown.

2. The Risk of the First Mark

Starting is always an act of courage.

No matter how many works have come before, every new canvas brings the same delicate fear: Will this one come alive? Will it carry what I feel?

That first gesture—whether bold or tentative—is an offering.

It's a leap into uncertainty.

Originals like Angel Eyes or Happiest Today carry within them not just colour and form, but the emotional bravery of beginning.

 

3. Chaos, Doubt, and the Silent Dialogue

Once the painting begins, so does the conversation.

There are moments of flow where the work seems to breathe on its own. And there are moments of deep uncertainty—when the painting fights back, when it resists clarity.

The artist listens. Responds. Adjusts. Lets go.

Often, pieces like Unknown Word are not designed—they are discovered.

Layer by layer. Question by question.

This is what gives original artworks their energy: they are not answers. They are living, breathing dialogues frozen in time.

 

4. The Moment It Becomes Whole

Finishing a painting isn’t a technical step.

It’s an intuitive moment—a soft knowing that there’s nothing more to say.

It might come suddenly or after a long wrestling match.

But when it comes, there’s a breath, a stillness. The artist steps back. And the work stands on its own for the first time.

What you see when you browse our Original Artworks isn’t just colour on canvas.
It’s the result of countless invisible moments: risk, listening, losing faith, finding trust again.

Why This Journey Matters

When you live with an original artwork, you’re living with more than just an image.

You’re living with the unseen story of its becoming.

You’re living with the risk, the stillness, the spark.

This is why originals carry a presence that’s hard to explain but impossible to miss. They aren’t just painted. They are born.

Learn more about the story and spirit behind our collection on the About Me page—or, if you're nearby, come visit our Sydney gallery and experience these living stories in person.

Sometimes, the piece you choose isn’t just the one that catches your eye.
It’s the one that whispers: I’ve been waiting for you.

 

Ready to Find Your Piece?

Browse our Original Artworks or Stretched Canvas Prints and discover the work that speaks to your own journey.