Impasto is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface in very thick layers, usually thick enough that the brush or palette knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provides texture; the paint appears to be coming out of the canvas.

Acrylic on canvas, 35 cm X 42 cm

I often collect a number of different colours on my palette knife and smear them onto the canvas. This can create depth and very interesting unintentional colour mixes on the canvas, and is a method I love using when painting flowers..