Honoring Veterans with Resin Art
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- The Inspiration behind the Project
- Materials Used
- Arranging the Glass
- Applying the Resin
- Creating a Border
- Pouring the Blue Color
- Adding the Gold Diamond and Angel Wings
- Applying the Glitter Lines
- Enhancing the Lines with Paint Pen
- Finalizing the Geode with Resin Coats
- The Finished Product
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Welcome to Mandy's unique collaboration honoring veterans and military service members. In this article, Mandy shares her inspiration, materials used, and step-by-step process of creating a sparkly geode artwork. Stay tuned to learn about the techniques and materials she employed to achieve the final result.
The Inspiration behind the Project:
Mandy's project was inspired by her father, a Navy veteran. Although she was initially planning to use a camouflage uniform, she decided to go with a dressy Navy uniform to represent the formality and sparkles she envisions at an event honoring the military. With this personal connection, Mandy embarked on creating a stunning geode artwork.
Materials Used:
For this project, Mandy used a 16in wood round cradled wood board as the base. She employed Diamond Starlight Celestial Fire glass and gold mirrored glass from Michaels to add depth and sparkle to her piece. To secure the glass in place, she utilized resin, specifically the KS resin liquidy split, which sets fast and offers great adhesion.
Arranging the Glass:
Mandy began by arranging the fire glass on the dry board, focusing on creating a geode-like structure. She carefully arranged the dark blue glass for the outer part of the geode, while using mostly white or sparkly white glass with gold accents for the inner areas. This arrangement represented a visual interpretation of her dressy Navy uniform inspiration.
Applying the Resin:
To secure the glass in place, Mandy drizzled resin onto the arranged glass. She used the resin as a glue to tack down the glass and ensure it doesn't shift during the subsequent layers. Although the resin does not perfectly cover the glass in one pass, Mandy explains that additional resin layers further reinforce the glass.
Creating a Border:
In order to create a border around the glass, Mandy used Shooting Star, a bling it color from Color Art. This particular color features large particulates that add a frosty white sparkle. Mandy meticulously drizzled the Shooting Star around the glass, allowing it to dry and prevent any potential color shifting.
Pouring the Blue Color:
To achieve the desired dark blue hue, Mandy mixed Opulent Tanzanite color from M Spring. This color was specifically chosen to mimic the navy color of her dressy Navy uniform inspiration. After pouring a strip of the mixed color, Mandy filled in gaps with gold glass, creating a captivating contrast against the dark blue background.
Adding the Gold Diamond and Angel Wings:
Mandy introduced Gold Diamond, an interference gold with large particulates, to provide additional gold shimmer to the artwork. By drizzling this gold diamond mixed with clear resin over the glass, Mandy reinforced the glass and added a touch of elegance. She also experimented with Angel Wings, an interference blue color, which she used as streaks throughout the middle blue section to create shadowy and shimmery effects.
Applying the Glitter Lines:
To further enhance the artwork, Mandy added glitter lines using Golden Eye fine and chunky glitter obtained from bulkglitters.com. Initially, she attempted to pipe the glitter out using a Ziploc bag but found it less preferable due to the loss of glitter and lack of control. She then switched to using a syringe, but due to the inconsistency in line thickness, Mandy resorted to using a cup for a smoother application.
Enhancing the Lines with Paint Pen:
Using a Craft Smart metallic gold paint pen, Mandy added depth and dimension to the glitter lines. By drawing on both sides of the lines, she created a 3D effect, making the lines pop and adding a touch of sophistication. Although the process was time-consuming, Mandy's attention to detail ultimately paid off.
Finalizing the Geode with Resin Coats:
After completing the glitter lines, Mandy applied multiple coats of resin to protect and enhance the artwork. The resin layers helped in smoothing out any imperfections and increased the overall glossiness of the geode. Additionally, Mandy drizzled resin over the glass and sprinkled glitter glass, providing an extra touch of sparkle and dimension.
The Finished Product:
After several resin coats and final touches, Mandy's geode artwork was completed. The amalgamation of dark blue, sparkly white, gold accents, glitter lines, and intricate paint pen work resulted in a stunning geode that truly honored her father's Navy background. The addition of glitter glass added a captivating sparkle to the final product.
Conclusion:
Mandy's journey in creating this geode artwork was a heartfelt tribute to veterans and military service members. Through her meticulous arrangement of glass, strategic application of resin and colors, and intricate paint pen work, she successfully transformed a simple wooden board into a masterpiece that exuded elegance and shimmer. This project not only showcased Mandy's artistic skills but also her deep connection to her father's military service.
