“Lift Up Thy Voice Like a Trumpet” – Mixed Media Canvas with Gold Paint & Metallic HTV
Difficulty: Intermediate
This canvas has been part of my creative journey for years. About three years ago, I started with a white canvas and painted it black, letting it dry completely. Once the surface cured, I mixed gold acrylic paint with some pouring medium, then I dipped the edge of an expired debit card into gold paint and swiped it across the canvas in an up‑and‑down motion to create the wide sound‑wave pattern. The result was a bold, textured gold wave that felt alive but still missing something meaningful.
For a long time, I knew I wanted to add a message to this piece — I just didn’t know what it was. Then I had the realization that the artwork needed to be about letting your voice be heard. When I came across the verse “Lift Up Thy Voice Like a Trumpet” from Isaiah 58:1, it immediately felt like the perfect addition.
I designed the text in IdeaStudio and cut it from an off‑brand metallic gold HTV to match the painted wave. Instead of using my full‑size heat press, I applied the HTV with my mini press so I could work in small, controlled sections. This helped protect the painted surface and ensured I didn’t risk damaging the artwork with too much heat at once.
Once the lettering was pressed, the verse tied the entire piece together. In person, the gold is far more reflective, dimensional, and vibrant than the camera can capture — it catches the light in a way that makes the whole canvas feel powerful and alive.
Materials Used:
- White canvas (painted black, cured for ~3 years)
- Gold acrylic paint (sound wave, applied with expired debit card)
- Pouring medium (to make the paint more liquidy for ease of application)
- Off‑brand metallic gold HTV (phrase + verse)
- Cutting machine
- Weeding tools
- Mini heat press (section‑by‑section application)
