Category: ornament

A poured resin object such as a snowflake or flower. It can be hung with fishing line to display in a window as a sun catcher or on a tree with lights.

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Rainbow Maker

A rainbow maker spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, aqua and blue colors a white door at an angle looking like a multi-colored comet.

Rainbow Maker ornament to hang in your window at home is SUNRAIN. This beautiful piece takes sunlight and disperses it into a variety of vivid spectrums or rainbows. The Egyptian 30% lead glass crystals are essential to creating such sharp and striking rainbows.

I have placed three of these enchanting ornaments in my granddaughter’s bedroom at our house. In the afternoon, with the SUNRAIN positioned in her south and west-facing windows, rainbows flood the walls during sunny days. It is genuinely one of the most remarkable pieces of art I’ve ever crafted, bringing joy and color into our living space!

Spectrum

The rainbows produced are exceptionally vivid when the sky is clear and the sun shines brightly on the rainbow maker. On a hazy day, while the rainbows may not be as crisp and bright, they still manage to grace your walls with their presence. Sunlight is composed of white light and encompasses a full spectrum.

The prism effectively separates the rays of light (which correspond to different wavelengths and speeds of colored light) into a graduated spectrum ranging from red to violet. If you select a rainbow on the wall and glance back at the SUNRAIN, you will see a bright light source.

The color perceived in your eye is specific to the part of the spectrum reaching your eye. A slight shift in your position can reveal a wonderful transition of hues, changing from yellow to blue or aqua, green, or red. The violet hue is narrower, making it a touch more elusive, but it is definitely present.

Rainbow Maker Confetti

The SUNRAIN features uniquely designed prisms, with each pendant boasting sixteen facets or flat surfaces. With each SUNRAIN containing 25 prisms, that results in a staggering 400 surfaces! Each of these surfaces has the potential to capture a ray of sunshine and disperse it into six to eight vibrant colors.

While not every facet may be perfectly aligned to catch the light, the multitude of facets increases the likelihood of witnessing numerous rainbows dancing across your walls and ceilings. Consider adding a few SUNRAIN rainbow makers in your sunniest room to maximize this effect.

To enhance the experience, turn on a fan to create a gentle breeze. The dynamic movement will make your surroundings feel like a confetti party, brightening your space without creating any mess!

On each prism of the SUNRAIN there are sixteen facets or flat surfaces around the pendant. On each SUNRAIN there are 25 prisms. That means each pendant has 400 surfaces!

400 elements to grab a ray of sunshine and disburse it into six or eight colors. Not every facet is facing the right direction. But with so many facets, the chances are high that you will see MANY rainbows on your walls and ceiling.

Add a few SUNRAIN rainbow makers in your sunniest room. Turn on a fan to create a little breeze. The decorative movement you have now looks like a confetti party (without the mess)!

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A rainbow maker spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, aqua and blue colors a white door at an angle looking like a multi-colored comet.
My SUNRAIN rainbow makers do this! 25 lead crystal prisms arranged like a daisy around a resin center hang from a 2′ gold chain in your sunny window.
The SUNRAIN is the most remarkable piece of art I’ve made.

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Transform your living space with the enchanting presence of the Rainbow Maker! Each SUNRAIN pendant includes 25 prisms and boasts an impressive total of 400 facets, ensuring a vibrant display of six to eight colors that gracefully dance across your walls and ceilings.

For the best effect, place several in your sunniest room, turn on a fan, and watch as they create a mesmerizing confetti party effect. This delightful spectacle will fill your atmosphere with joy and vibrant color.

Don’t miss the opportunity to invite this delightful experience into your home!

For those who appreciate handcrafted artistry, the SUNRAIN Rainbow Maker not only serves a functional purpose but also enhances your home’s decor. Its captivating design invites curiosity and admiration from guests and family alike.

Consider how the placement of these pendants can influence the ambiance of your rooms — a well-placed SUNRAIN can become a centerpiece that sparks conversations and adds warmth to your space.

The interplay of light and color can evoke memories and inspire creativity, making it an ideal addition not just to homes, but also to studios, offices, or any place where inspiration is needed.

Available at the Resin Art Studio at 5069 Leavenworth Street in Omaha, NE 68106 OR call 402943751 six OR see me at #BFF Benson First Friday in Benson Theater or sidewalk outdoors.

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Rainbow Maker
Post on Instagram showing my SUNRAIN rainbow maker at the Benson First Friday Art Show.
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July Newsletter: Rainbow Icosahedron

Four Icosahedra and a Pentagon Bowl sitting on a white plastic board. One Icosahedron is totally clear. Two Icosahedron are heavily colored with transparent primary or secondary colors. The last Icosahedron is thinly colored with a washy effect. A clear pentagon bowl sits adjacent.

It’s Summer!  Watercolor Wildflowers Monthly Newsletter here featuring a rainbow Icosahedron.  What’s that?  Read on.

Resinart nightlights and lighthouses on display in a darkened room. Colors range from red to yellow to aqua to green and blue.
Glowing nightlights and lighthouses on display in a darkened room. Colors range from red to yellow to aqua to green and blue.

This month’s winner of a Planetary Nightlight is Robert at RobertLovesPi.net, a very cool blog about polyhedra and tessellations. Subscribe to my newsletter for a chance to win!   

ENTER Drawing by ->  SUBSCRIBE

Customer Newsletter      July 2025

Rainbow Icosahedron in Resin

Exploring the intersection of art and science, the Icosahedron embodies principles of symmetry and balance. Its structure has fascinated mathematicians and artists alike, inspiring countless creative projects. At my studio I’ve kept going with the Icosahedra idea (plural of Icosahedron). Its like a geodesic dome but all the way ’round. The trick is finding best way to assemble these beveled equilateral triangles.  Mathematically, it will fit. The best outcome requires  precisely made 60° resin triangle chips of equal thickness. Beveled edges of 15° are sanded on my vertical belt sander.

Alcohol Pigment

I’ve found alcohol pigment is a good way to color the hard resin after the sanding and clean-up. Primary and secondary 3″ colored triangles are distributed evenly.  Each Icosahedron has 20 triangles. So I make 3 red, 3 blue, 3 yellow, 3 violet, 3 orange, 3 green (rainbow) and then 2 clear triangles.  The coloring may be simple but its the best way to avoid muddy (tertiary) color accidents.

Alcohol pigment effectively colors the cured resin post-sanding and cleanup. Each Icosahedron comprises 20 evenly distributed colored triangles. The distribution includes 3 red, 3 blue, 3 yellow, 3 violet, 3 orange, 3 green (rainbow), and 2 clear triangles. This simple coloring method helps me prevent undesirable muddy colors. Muddy colors are the mixing of less bright, less clear, tertiary colors by accident. I want these Rainbow Icosahedron to be mesmerizing and fun to look at.

colorful display of Icosahedron equilateral triangles in rainbow colors laid out on a white board
Equilateral triangles to be used to make a three-dimensional Icosahedron

How to Assemble an Icosahedron in 20 Pieces

I found the best way to assemble the Icosahedron from studying the unfolding diagram. Unfolding diagrams show what elements make up a three-dimensional object (flattened pieces). Turns out you start with the middle.

colorful pentagon with triangular elements in primary and secondary colors forming a star and another pentagon
This is the inside of two-thirds of an Icosahedron. The bottom triangle edges of the crown are visible first, then the inside of the alternating crown triangles, then the pentagon top.

The middle band of 10 triangles up then down should be taped edge-to-edge on a smooth flat surface with 1/2″ masking tape. Carefully raise the chain of triangles onto its side and curl it into a circle. Tape that last triangle to the start of the circle. I carefully add more masking tape, tightening and holding the triangles more firmly together. This makes a crown where curiously one triangle tips inward 5° and the next triangle tips outward by about 5°.

I form the top pentagon as five triangles pointing into the middle and pulled up at the center. Starting these shapes with masking tape saves a lot of frustration. Add the top to the crown. Match, fit and tape edges tightly together in all directions.

The bottom pentagon goes on the same. If made with near-exact equilateral triangles, then a tight fit can be achieved. The taped pieces are glued together carefully with tiny resin welds between tape. 

Two heavily colored Icosahedra resting on a white plastic board in the sunshine. The image cast from light through the Icosahedra appears on the white plastic board.
Two heavily colored Icosahedra resting on a white plastic board in the sunshine. The image cast from light through the Rainbow Icosahedra appears on the white plastic board.
Colorful pentagon shaped Icosahedron sitting on a sunny window sill. The equilateral triangles are colored in a washy technique and they are colored red, blue, yellow, purple, green, or orange.
Colorful pentagon shaped Rainbow Icosahedron sitting on a sunny window sill. The equilateral triangles are colored in a washy technique and they are colored red, blue, yellow, purple, green, or orange.
Four Icosahedra and a Pentagon Bowl sitting on a white plastic board. One Icosahedron is totally clear. Two Icosahedron are heavily colored with transparent primary or secondary colors. The last Icosahedron is thinly colored with a washy effect. A clear pentagon bowl sits adjacent.
Four Icosahedra and a Pentagon Bowl sitting on a white plastic board. One Icosahedron is totally clear. Two Icosahedron are heavily colored with transparent primary or secondary colors. The last Icosahedron is thinly colored with a washy effect. A clear pentagon bowl sits adjacent.

Finishing the Rainbow Icosahedron

All of these get a clear resin finish.  I’m trying different pigments and transparency ideas.  And I’ve got some one-way mirror film that will create an infinity effect.  You’ll see forever next month as well as some food-safe stylish Pentagon Bowls!

CALL OR VISIT MY STUDIO 5069 Leavenworth Street Omaha, NE 68106 (402) 943-7516

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June Newsletter: Icosahedron

Very clear icosahedron resting on window sill capturing the light in the texture of resin and equilateral triangles

Happy June!  Watercolor Wildflowers Monthly Newsletter featuring brand new geometric art. The Icosahedron.

Resinart nightlights and lighthouses on display in a darkened room. Colors range from red to yellow to aqua to green and blue.
Glowing nightlights and lighthouses on display in a darkened room. Colors range from red to yellow to aqua to green and blue.

This month’s winner of a Planetary Nightlight is Nita Upchurch of redefinedhome.com in Des Moines, IA. Subscribe to this newsletter for a chance to win!   ENTER Drawing by ->  SUBSCRIBE

Customer Newsletter      June 2025

Icosahedron Art in Clear Resin

I see new resin art ideas wherever I look! From nature to man-made structures, there are fascinating ideas in art just waiting to try.  This month it’s the Icosahedron.  A clear or colored, three-dimensional tetrahedron, formed with 20 equilateral triangles. It has a penta-gonal pyramid on “top”, and same on the “bottom”. with a band of five up and five down alternating triangles holding the top to the bottom.  As you turn it over in your hands, it’s hard to tell where the top is.  Each side is the same! Roll it over and there’s another pentagon. You could also call it a geodesic sphere or a polyhedron.

Red Icosahedron play structure. Copyright free Pixabay. December 26, 2016
Red Icosahedron play structure. Copyright free Pixabay. December 26, 2016

My first attempt was with cardboard.  I wanted to get the assembly correct and its hard to tell where to start.  Can a flat paper be cut and folded into a 20 sided geodesic ball? The answer is yes but a stiffer material is needed. 

I cut 3″ triangles from a sheet of 1/8″ plastic acrylic. How to fit, how to join these triangles together? What angle should they be to each other.  The angle between each side should be 138°.  This is called the dihedral angle. It is figured with college level math that I don’t remember any longer. Making 3″ clear or colored resin triangles in exact 60° angles and consistent dimensions is the next challenge. Precision is key to a good fit.  I bought some laser-cut acrylic triangles in the end to keep everything tight and attractive. I used these to create a mold so I can cast the triangle in any color using liquid two-part epoxy resin.

There’s the awkward fit with square edges so the mold includes 21° +/- angle on the inside faces. Each chip touches three times with a 138° interior angle. An interlocking design would help. The result is what you see here:

Icosahedron resting on table in front of a yellow wildflower lighthouse. The icosahedron is made from clear epoxy resin and has 20 equilateral triangles fit together in pentagon shapes repeating around the geodesic figure.
Icosahedron resting on table in front of a yellow wildflower lighthouse. The icosahedron is made from clear epoxy resin and has 20 equilateral triangles fit together in pentagon shapes repeating around the geodesic figure.

These unique pieces of art make a perfect gift for Father’s Day – for the man who has everything – except an Icosahedron.

Basic models are only $45.  If you want an LED light then add $15. Made-to-order or buy online from watercolorwildflowers.com/store/

CALL OR VISIT MY STUDIO 5069 Leavenworth Street Omaha, NE 68106 (402) 943-7516