RESIN ART Resin art is so easy to do, much easier than I ever imagined. It's really fun making tiny collages to go inside of things like lockets, bottle caps, jewelry settings, shells, etc. I'm completely addicted....I learned this technique from Nina Bagley in The Bahamas last fall. We used a product in her class that costs over $50. I use Envirotex Lite and it is MUCH cheaper (~$10) and it' s available at most major craft or art supply stores. SUPPLIES: Bottle caps, metal jewelry settings, shells, etc. Tiny collage elements, pictures, clip art, watch parts, beads, fabric, lace, petals, flowers, leaves, glass rhinestones, junk jewelry bits, etc. PVA or other clear drying adhesive Tweezers, Scissors, wire cutters, etc. Envirotex Lite (EL) Disposable art cups Popsicle sticks Disposable container for mixing Disposable squeeze bottle, dropper, or plastic syringe for pouring Timer or clock to measure mix time Newspaper to protect work area Shallow pan or box Rice or sand Matches or lighter Rubbing Alcohol INSTRUCTIONS: Assemble all the necessary items and begin to build your tiny collages inside the pieces you have gathered up. Be careful and glue everything inside your mini collage down with tiny dabs of glue as you go to prevent your collage stuff from floating around when you pour the EL in. Fill the shallow pan/box with rice/sand and arrange the collage pieces getting a look at them at eye level to get them as level as possible. Lay newspaper down on the work surface and mix the EL according to package instructions, mixing part a and part b in equal measure. I use disposable art cups to measure and popsicle stick to stir. Mix the resin scraping the sides very well, for at least two full minutes. The resin will look bubbly, almost like champagne except it will be thick. Pour the mixed resin into a small squeeze bottle or syringe. You' re now ready to pour the resin into your prepared collage pieces. Fill your pieces to the rim--you can go a little under the rim and they will concave as they dry, or fill just a tiny bit over the rim and your pieces will dry with a nice domed top. Don' t worry about all those bubbles; wait 2-5 minutes and most of the tiny bubbles will disappear. The EL instructions say to breathe on the resin to pop the bubbles and this technique will work on most of the bubbles. Discard all the mixing and pouring materials and allow resin pieces to cure undisturbed for 24 hours. If your work area is dusty cover the pan with some newspaper. Cured resin pieces can be drilled for jewelry, nailed, riveted or wired down onto just about anything, or just glue them down. They can be rusted, rubbed with patina and paint, antiqued, and buffed. They are beautiful...the sky's the limit... TIPS: 1. Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean up any spills or tools if the resin is still wet. 2. Plastic pieces you use in your collage may completely dissolve in the EL, for example it plastic rhinestones completely dissolve leaving nothing but a shiny dot in the bottom of the piece! If you want to use some hard plastic item to build your collage inside of, test an empty piece for compatibility. 3. Some papers may become transparent as the piece cures, and stuff that is printed on the backside of your paper may become visible. This can be both fun and frustrating,. 4. Allow any visible PVA to dry before pouring the resin, or it will be permanently preserved and will be visible inside your collage. 5. The stubborn bubbles can be popped by passing a lit match over the top of the pieces...get fairly close but not right against the surface or the resin might flare up...even the most stubborn bubbles pop like magic when the flame gets close! The flame consumes oxygen and will pull the bubbles right out of the resin. Really stubborn bubbles can be popped with a needle. Shauna Palmer 2003. Art pieces on this page were made by Shauna Palmer, Colleen Bryan Rodgers, Cindy Larsen and a little help from some Pinot Grigo :) |
