Teacher-Turned-Painter Creates Realistic Bubble-Wrap Effect Paintings, Art Helped Her Recover From Accident

Teacher-turned-painter creates bubble-wrap effect paintings

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Creating beautiful artworks can be a therapeutic exercise, and for Beth Dacuma, a 26-year-old teacher from Toledo, Cebu, this has indeed been true ever since she was injured in a motorcycle accident that happened in May 2020. 

Using acrylic paints and through stencilling, a technique that involves painting over holes cut into cardboard or metal sheets and onto a canvas, Dacuma has been creating unique artworks with realistic 3D bubble wrap effects to help herself recover from her accident.

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Painting helped her recover from her accident

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Dacuma not long after her accident in 2020
Image credit: Beth Dacuma

According to Dacuma, the accident had damaged several parts of her body including her collarbones, ribs, and lungs. 

“After the motorcycle accident last May 28, 2020, my whole perspective changed on life. Any day could be your last in this world,” Dacuma said in a Facebook post.

Image credit: Beth Dacuma

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For Dacuma, bubble wrap represents life’s impermanence

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During her recovery, Dacuma tried her hand at painting with bubble wrap effects in June 2020. According to her, bubble wrap represents the impermanence of life that we should not take for granted.

Image credit: Beth Dacuma, Beth Dacuma

“Ipininta ko po ang bubble wrap bilang pagpapahalaga ko po sa buhay. Inihalintulad ko po ito sa bubble wrap. Minsan lang tayo dito sa mundo, pangalagaan natin ang ating sarili,” she told The Philippine Star. 

(I painted [the] bubble wrap [paintings] as a way to signify life’s importance. I’m comparing life to bubble wrap. We’re only here once in the world, [so] let’s take care of ourselves.)

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Her art includes reproductions of the Mona Lisa and Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Korean actors

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Dacuma’s renditions of Mona Lisa (left) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (right)
Image credit: Beth Dacuma, Beth Dacuma

And while adding the bubble wrap effects is already a thorough task, the subjects of Dacuma’s paintings also require pro skills to bring to life. She’s reproduced Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, and several Korean actors such as Hyun Bin and Gong Yoo, before adding on her bubble wrap technique. 

Dacuma’s portraits of Korean actors Park Seo Joon, Hyun Bin, and Gong Yoo
Image credit: Beth Dacuma 

To finish one piece, she usually works from 8 to 24 hours using acrylic paints, and through stencilling, she uses the paints to create bubble wrap shapes on the surfaces of her portraits. 

Image credit: Beth Dacuma 

Dacuma is also talented at illustrating female bodies, and her subjects also include Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Taylor Swift. 

She’s received art commissions from as far as the US and has had paintings and prints for sale – so those interested in getting a new piece of art for their homes may wish to message her directly on Facebook. 

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Creating unique, bubble-wrap effect paintings

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In trying times, creating art helps us gain an overall sense of well-being. 

And for Dacuma, creating unique, bubble-wrap effect paintings has proven to be something she can turn to to help her recover from her traumatic experience in a life-changing accident. 

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• Artist paints mini streetscapes of Lipa

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Cover image adapted from: Beth Dacuma, Beth Dacuma