Lovers of oil paintings know how inspiring it is to have a beautiful canvas hanging on their wall. Many owners and especially curators need to replace and rotate their artwork so their walls stay fresh with inspiration. Adding a canvas from an artist who has incorporated mixed media elements into their work can be a welcome change.

Since the beginning of time artists have always had the desire to broaden their creative horizons. This instinct can be seen in oil canvases throughout the eras. However, back then artists were constrained by the types of materials they had immediately at hand. Experimentation and invention have always been a part of human creativity.

Today, artists have an almost unlimited range of materials to add to their mixed media projects. They include different types of techniques that create unusual finishes and hues to the paint colors. As well as, advances in adhesives, glues and transfer mediums. Oil canvases can now incorporate components of metal, plastic, wood, fabrics and paper elements. This gives a whole new and interesting look to all oil paintings with the mixed media elements.

Nowadays there is much less agreement within the art world about what constitutes aesthetic beauty. Almost nothing is out of bounds in terms of subject matter, and this is demonstrated in the variety of materials an artist can use in their mixed media oil paintings. Accessibility to art has increased dramatically with the advent of the internet. Now inspiration and techniques can be shared with others from around the world.

Another aspect to the wonderful world of mixed media and canvas work, is the use of recycled materials. Many people are "going green" and are concerned with just throwing things away. This is great news for artists as most of the materials thrown away are durable enough to be used in artwork that is meant to last. What many see as garbage or trash can be seen as a potential artistic element for the artist. In a modern world with an every growing population, the re-purposing of an item is becoming more crucial all the time.

A lot of the old masters used mixed media in their oil paintings. Picasso is partially credited for beginning the modern usage of collage and paper in paintings at the early part of the 20th century. The Cubist movement began when Pablo Picasso and George Braque both, independently, began experimenting with angular and square designs to interpret real life scenes.

Long before artists discovered how to create oil paint, there was tempera. Tempera is a type of paint that uses egg, water and pigment in its creation. It's fast drying and forms a lovely muted yet, still bold palette for painters to create from. Leonardo Da Vinci could be considered a mixed media artist, as well as, a great painter. He used tempera on wet plaster and eventually incorporated the oil paint into his work.

Up until the early 1500's was tempera used. Oil paint began to take dominance as it was discovered it was much more durable. The colors faded less over time and texture could be added with the thickness of the oil medium. Oil painting is fantastic to own and look at. Acquiring a canvas that incorporates elements of mixed media as well, can be even better.