Blum: Custom Podcast Cover Oil Painting

I painted this 30x40 cm oil on canvas for the "Blum" podcast by El Extraordinario, designed to bring the fictional world of artist Úrsula Blum to life.

Embodying a Fictional Artist

This project was a unique challenge because I had to step into the shoes of a character. The brief was to create a piece that felt like a Post-Impressionist or Fauvist work from the turn of the 20th century. I focused on a Swiss landscape, incorporating elements that feel authentic to the setting, like the specific local birds and the mountains in the distance. I even tucked a tiny Swiss flag into the background on a mast, making sure it felt like a natural part of the scenery rather than an afterthought. It was a joy to see how this physical painting translated into the digital cover art for the show. See more info about the project here https://blum.myswitzerland.com/.

To get that classic, expressive look, I worked with a lot of heavy impasto. I subestimated just how much paint this piece would take! I used a palette of eight main colors, including Cobalt Turquoise, Dioxazine Violet, and Venetian Red, applying them in thick, bold strokes. I wanted the bottom of the painting to dissolve into a sea of colorful brushwork, giving it a dreamlike energy that fits the mystery of the podcast. Because it was painted in oil, the final result has a physical depth and saturation that really stands out on digital platforms.

Why I love this commission

• Atmospheric Storytelling: I used specific Swiss flora and fauna to ground the fictional narrative in a real place.
• Fauvist Color Palette: I pushed the saturation and used non-traditional colors to create a striking, high-energy landscape.
• Heavy Impasto Texture: The canvas is covered in thick, physical layers of paint that give the scene a sculptural quality.
• Versatile Composition: I designed the layout so it could be cropped for square podcast covers, YouTube banners, and social media posts without losing the focus.

Technical Details

• Original Oil painting by Alai Ganuza
• 30x40 cm (approx. 12x16 inches)
• Professional oil paint on canvas
• Certificate of Authenticity (COA) included
• Customized for digital and physical use