A Peaceful Tree
Hey there creators!
For my inspiration today I have decided to work on a resin piece that I am going to donate to the James Memorial Arts Center in Williston, North Dakota, for their annual Art Fest Peace Day event.
Have you decided on something you were going to create today? If you didn’t get a chance to read my post from yesterday, today is ‘A Day to Create’. Time to put your procrastination aside and get started on the project you’ve been wanting to do. Here is a link to my previous post if you were interested in reading about brainstorming ideas.
With peace being the theme, I wanted to incorporate my love for trees and the peace they bring to me personally. I wanted to challenge myself today, so I am attempting to draw with resin. I usually paint with acrylic paints on top of the resin after it has cured for a day. So this project might or might not work how I want it to. Trying new techniques is a good way to keep yourself inspired, to challenge yourself and to find out if you like certain things or not. The backgrounds I create with spray paint and acrylic was born out of this type of experimentation where I tried new mediums and allowed myself to make mistakes. Ultimately, I created a signature style that I intern have been asked to about, imagine that, people are seeking me out for something I found through experimentation.
The act of creating art brings me into a peaceful state of mind where I often lose track of time. This is one of the best states of feeling for me and I was excited to bring peace and tress together.
Okay, to get started I need to seal the wood plaque I will be using. It is an 8”x8” wood plaque by ArtMinds that I got at Michaels. I’m just sealing it with a RUST-OLEUM clear spray paint. When that dries I will begin the pour.
First, before I start, I will gather all of my supplies I need, making sure I don’t forget anything because resin is very time sensitive and there is only about 15-20 minutes to work with the resin before it sets. I would also advise you to make sure you have a level handy to make sure the resin doesn’t drift to one side after you pour.
I also wanted to let you all know that some of the color pigments I am using I acquired at an estate sale, and they are very old, so I’m not sure if these particular colors are available anymore. They are, BAER’S Bronze Powder; Klondike Apple Green, Klondike Chocolate Bronze. There was an unlabeled violet bronze powder in the box of powders too.
I also used Liquitex Basics Titanium White, & Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink; Grass Green, Blue, Black (found at Michaels).
Due to where I live, it is a decent hike to a major shopping area, which means I improvise and stockpile supplies. Since my local art supply store is not convenient have been using Famowood Glaze Coat Resin, you may find something you like more. I purchased this container at Menards. Some other things you also want to organize before you start are to be sure to have gloves, wooden sticks, and plastic mixing cups. I used masking tape on the edges to make sure I didn’t spill any resin where I didn’t want it.
After mixing the resin together as instructed, I poured out smaller amounts so I can mix the colors.
After getting the colors mixed to where I wanted them I made the initial pour of the background colors. I used a heat gun to pop most of the bubbles, a good tip is make sure not to hold the gun on the resin to long though or you will burn the resin. I used my finger to spread around and blend the two colors together. Using a small wooden pick, I dipped into the chocolate bronze and drew out the tree trunk and peace sign. I added the apple green for the branches, and mixed the white and violet together for the blossoms. I passed the heat gun over one last time to get the rest of those bubbles out.
I think it turned out pretty well for a first attempt at the technique. This is where it is vital to make sure your piece is level. If it’s not, it’s going to be a really crooked tree…if it even looks like a tree when it dries. After you make sure there are no stray hairs or dust that has fallen onto the piece, you need to cover to your work to prevent anything else from landing on top of it. Living with four dogs, it’s tough to keep hair out of anything! I just use a plastic bin to place over the top. Make sure to check of your piece after the first hour of curing to make sure nothing snuck in there. This is the only window you can remove debris without messing up the resin.
Now I have to wait until tomorrow to finish this piece. I am going to hand paint some more detail along the branches and trunk to create depth, and seal it with a clear coat of resin. Make sure to check back in later, as I will update this post with more progress of the hand painting tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed my process with this piece and I would love to see what you are creating today!
What comes to your mind when you think of peace?
Kortney Beth
Life is Art, Start Creating