Author: JohnM

Watercolor Wildflowers is studio artist business. John Meng-Frecker is a retired civil engineer surveyor - I make resin art ornaments, lighthouses, nightlights, geometric art, resin paintings, and I do other graphic arts related services like framing and hanging installations. My resin slab designs are geometric themes and color compositions. Art pieces are transparent, colorful and illuminated with LED by AC or battery power. Shipping of online purchase is free and local Installation in Omaha area is included with purchase.My resin art is unlike any other and will look incredible in your home or business. My paintings are planned, well constructed, and beautiful. Hang them on your wall or in front of a window. I've built LED backlighting which shines brightly through the colorful resin. Made-to-order and Commissions 4029437516.
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Rustic Cedar and Resin Folding Card Table

Artist builder sitting at folding rustic card table for size reference in living room setting.

Going to the lake cabin? You need this rustic resin card table. It is foldable, attractive, unique, and comfortably fits four American size people! Plenty of space to lay out your playing cards for Pitch, Bridge, Poker, Canasta, or Euchre games without bumping your beverage!

  • 36″ x 36″ table top
  • Folds down to 3″ for easy storage
  • Strong hinges won’t loosen
  • Sturdy but weighs 38 lbs
  • Hard clear resin protects top and legs
  • Bright red cedar is very attractive
  • Handmade Original

I see many wood and resin projects on Instagram. From charcuterie boards to river tables, people are jumping into the resin game now combined with woodworking. It has a great look because there is such a contrast between the grained and stained look of exotic woods together with smooth and glossy resin. My entry into the trend is a dramatic card table. The top measures 36″ x 36″ and is one inch thick. Cedar legs fold up beneath the table for easy storage.

Four Eastern Red Cedar planks surrounding a moat of highly reflective green resin which encloses a slice of the tree or cookie.
Card table top made from Eastern Red Cedar. A dark green layer of resin is poured in the bottom of the moat. The clear resin covering the planks and cookie reflect the lights and ceiling.

My entry into the latest trend is this starkly contrasting green and red card table. I used transparent green resin as a base layer underneath clear resin poured on the entire set of four assembled planks. There are no nails or screws used to hold the four planks together – just poured resin hardened to a strong bond between boards.

Glossy or Satin Finish?

The table top is only one inch thick. Weight was a big concern during the design and I decided that a 2″ thick table top would weigh too much. It would also be more expensive for the thicker slab of resin in the middle to complete the gap. Instead of two gallons, I was able to complete this project with only one gallon (think $100 per mixed gallon of Epodex resin).

Eastern Red Cedar protected with hardened clear epoxy resin brightens the gorgeous natural grain which is dramatic and colorful. Green transparent resin surrounds the live edge boards and “cookie” slice of irregular cedar tree that make up the table top. You can see the rings of the 24″ Eastern Red Cedar tree in its cross section of a wobbled trunk outline.

The picture above shows the table before its final coat of resin, which I sanded. It is SO dramatic in its freshly poured state. But the glossy surface has many reflections that cause glare. I’m just thinking out loud. Which would you rather have for a card table? Glossy or Satin?

Underneath

Folding hinges securely mounted to 36″ square table top and 29″ tall legs. The four legs fold under four edges of the table for convenient storage. Everything is not exactly straight when folded but the legs look just fine when out. The table weighs about 38 lbs (a little heavy because of the thick resin top, generous wood, and hardware). It is very stable though and does not wiggle like the lightweight card tables. It fits tall people comfortably with plenty of room to laydown all your cards!

top view of folded rustic card table in eastern red cedar coated with shiny resin
top view of folded rustic card table in eastern red cedar coated with shiny resin
hinge in folded position rustic card table in eastern red cedar coated with shiny resin
hinge in folded position rustic card table in eastern red cedar coated with shiny resin
folded rustic card table in eastern red cedar coated with shiny resin standing vertical in doorway with sun shining through green transparent resin surrounding cookie of cedar tree in middle
Sun shining through green resin surrounding live edge of Eastern Red Cedar Card Table
folding rustic card table with two legs in folded or partly folded position
folding rustic card table with two legs in folded or partly folded position
close up view of hinge under rustic card table
close up view of hinge under rustic card table
view of card table from underneath with black laborador looking down toward camera
view of card table from underneath with black laborador looking down toward camera
bottom view of rustic cedar card table hinge supporting table top of transparent green resin surrounding eastern red cedar tree slice
bottom view of rustic cedar card table hinge supporting table top of transparent green resin surrounding eastern red cedar tree slice
sunny view of rustic eastern red cedar card table having a red wood color and dramatic green resin table top
sunny view of rustic eastern red cedar card table having a red wood color and dramatic green resin table top
sunny view of rustic eastern red cedar card table having a red wood color and dramatic green resin table top
sunny view of rustic eastern red cedar card table having a red wood color and dramatic green resin table top
folding card table neatly stowed behind bookshelf
folding card table neatly stowed behind bookshelf
Artist builder sitting at card table in living room setting with playing cards resting on table top. Pictured chairs not included.
Artist builder sitting at card table in living room setting with playing cards resting on table top. Pictured chairs not included.
Top of card table receiving sun through window in living room setting. Cross section of tree sits in middle of green resin poured in space between live edge of Eastern Red Cedar boards.
Top of card table receiving sun through window in living room setting. Cross section of tree sits in middle of green resin poured in space between live edge of Eastern Red Cedar boards.
Artist builder sitting at folding rustic card table for size reference in living room setting.
Artist builder sitting at folding rustic card table for size reference in living room setting.
Top oblique view of folding cedar card table with light shining through transparent green resin surrounding live edge boards and slice of 24" diameter tree.
Top oblique view of folding cedar card table with light shining through transparent green resin surrounding live edge boards and slice of 24″ diameter tree.
Vertical top view of 36" x 36" square card table having red cedar boards and slice from irregular tree shape.
Vertical top view of 36″ x 36″ square card table having red cedar boards and slice from irregular tree shape.
Living Room view of square card table with chairs on three sides for size reference.
Living Room view of square card table with chairs on three sides for size reference.

Buy Now. Only $500.

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Stunning Brass and Resin Tessellation Art Piece

vertical view of hot air balloon resin art painting in bright colors of red, yellow, purple,and blue

This hot air balloon design is a tessellation or reflection of the contents of an equilateral triangle to adjacent triangles in three directions. Brass rods are bent into the segment shapes and laid on a hard resin layer. Then a 1/16″ clear resin layer is poured to seal between the rods. Small amounts of colored resin are poured carefully in the spaces. When the resin colors have cured a 3/16″ clear layer is poured just covering the brass rods. The finished slab is 0.5″ thick.

This unique brass and resin art piece is ready for a new home. It can be installed with LED backlights on a wall in your home or office. With lighting $250. With brass frame $400.

Transparent resin painting of hot air balloons in a tessellation design.
Transparent resin painting of hot air balloons in a tessellation design.
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Metal and Resin Art for Home Decor

interior photo of art studio at 5069 Leavenworth St.

A new year brings new opportunities but only if one pushes oneself to higher heights. I’m taking advantage of having a studio space to build some innovative ideas that are just asking to be born. Picture if you will, an Eastern Red Cedar card table with green transparent resin surrounding the circles of its growth. Woodworking has always appealed to me but the bigger tools come with a bigger expense. With careful planning and construction, I’ve found that I can build this outstanding fold-able card table. Here are some of my raw materials:

Irregular boards for live edge top of card table and regular cut legs to be attached with hinges.
Irregular boards for live edge top of card table and regular cut legs to be attached with hinges.
Eastern Red Cedar "cookie" slice 1 inch thick for center of card table.
Eastern Red Cedar “cookie” slice 1 inch thick for center of card table.
resin filled card table top - red cedar slice in the middle of four boards surrounded by green resin and live edge cedar planks
resin filled card table under construction – red cedar cookie in the middle surrounded by green resin and live edge cedar planks

Tessellation in Resin

Another idea you should see completed soon is my hot air balloon tessellation. A tessellation is the contents of a 60° 60° 60° triangle mirrored to its respective sides. I have designed a hot air balloon motif from bent brass rods. The spaces between will be filled with colored transparent resin, much like a stained glass window. This piece measures 23″ x 23″ and it will be illuminated for hanging on a wall with four aluminum stand-offs.

colorful resin slab of hot air balloons tessellation resting on wooden window sill with sun shining through the transparent resin

Copper and Brass Metal Work

I’ve also been doing a lot of work with metal. My first experience was the brass spiral staircase inside the lighthouse. Then I used copper tubes as frames around resin tiles. My latest work is just a fun copper dandelion plant with a puff ball.

13" x 13" brass tube frame around nine 4" x 4" transparent aqua resin tiles.
Just waiting to be set in your window as an attractive sun catcher, this tiled piece of eye candy will brighten your day and your home.
Window panes and snowflake molds laying on a home-made light table. The backlit illumination shows the potential of these window panes to screen the outside but transfer the light inside.
Window panes and snowflake molds laying on a home-made light table. The backlit illumination shows the potential of these window panes to screen the outside but transfer the light inside.
lighthouse sculpture in a hexagon shape with hexagon base embedded with quartz rocks.
Looking upward at my first sellable lighthouse sculpture. This piece took a lot of planning and trials and fitting and trying again. It is a unique model of a lighthouse set with a firm rock foundation. The walls are resin and they are joined with resin. The lantern room is a diamond textured cylinder which refracts the light.
brass skeleton of resin art painting drawn in pencil in the shape of a hexagon filled with diamonds, hexagons, triangles and a six sided star
brass skeleton of planned resin art painting in the shape of a hexagon

Built to Order, Commissions

If you have an idea in your mind just waiting to be built then please call me. I love transforming ideas into reality. Here’s a photo of a commission piece that I made for a customer (who gave me a 5-star rating for the project).

8" x 2" x 2" clear solid cast of resin with watch inside. The watch shows the time that couple met.
$25 per hour plus materials. Commissions Example. Watch encased in clear resin and set on a metal plate inscribed as a gift. This idea came from a customer and I was able to build it to specifications and to the satisfaction of the customer. 5 star rating on Google Reviews.