Tag: coast

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Stunning Resin Art Inspired by the Pacific

Ocean wave casted in clear resin with quartz rocks and a white and brown Mexican sea shell poking out

This beautifully colored hard resin sculpture captures the energy and excitement of the Pacific Ocean. I lived in Oregon for a while and visit the ocean when I can. Watching the waves crash on the rocks is something that draws me in and holds me captive. This spectacular wave reminds me of just that feeling. Also available: green with a big dark grey rock and clear with a beautiful sea shell and quartz rocks.

Ocean wave casted in clear resin with quartz rocks and a white and brown Mexican sea shell poking out
copper tube frame around square assembly of nine 4" x 4" transparent aqua resin tiles. The tiles look like water and the shiny warm copper colored frame contrasts with the cool aqua.
This splashing ocean wave Measures 11" tall by 10" wide and 2" thick resin wave slab. exciting reminder of the ocean.
transparent resin painting in blue, green, black, and yellow with light blue mica powder.

I’ve always been interested in topography and landscapes. Something curious about a scene is that its look can change according to the wildflowers growing on it. That is where abstract landscape art is born. I can visualize land with changes due to light, vegetation, snow, water. I painted this scene in resin after reading about bioluminescence. Plankton of a certain species will glow in the dark. The water is filled with the plankton and so the entire scene is changed. For further reading, here is an interesting article https://www.kqed.org/science/1983841/where-to-see-bioluminescence-bay-area-kayak-tours

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Melting Ice and Eroding Desert: Art Reflecting Environmental Change

Top down less reflective view of resin art sculptures
Top down less reflective view of resin art sculptures
Top down less reflective view of resin art sculptures

My watercolor art took a sharp turn into plaster this summer. The warm dry weather allowed me to work outside. This made the plaster and resin easier to clean. I created a design which was inspired by the braided curving river flows in Iceland. The runoff from higher elevations would lose energy in the flat coastal lands. It would then bend and weave through black volcanic earth. This created intricate patterns looking like veins. See Andy Mumford website for incredible landscape photography of Iceland. I re-used the design for the desert, which was cast in plaster as well from the original mold. The waterfall is made of resin and the plaster cast of the landform is supported by Styrofoam skinned with plaster. The resin base helps to protect the plaster, which has a tendency to crack until it is supported. These two pieces will stand the test of time.

The earth, however, may not stand the test of time. With our industrialization of the world, humans have caused global warming from greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Many countries and people are working to reduce their carbon footprint, but many are not; see https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions. We are all in this together. We need to take climate change seriously. This is necessary to save the glaciers, rainforests, and Earth One. We do it for the sake of our children. Here are ten simple choices you can make: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/earthday.html

plaster sculpture of melting glacier sheet looking down at flowing water.
“Artic” topographic art depicting ice sheets melting
"Desert" topographic art showing desert soil eroding from floods, a sculpture made with plaster and resin. Watercolor was used to create shadows.
“Desert” topographic art showing desert soil eroding from floods, a sculpture made with plaster and resin. Watercolor was used to create shadows.
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Three Dimensional Watercolor

three dimensional watercolor painting of tide pools using yellow, white, sienna, viridian, and ultramarine blue

I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at shadows cast from sunlight onto landscapes. My three-dimensional watercolors allow me to place a light where the sun would be. I can then examine the landscape and the sun’s shadow from mountains in the watercolor. How do I do that? Plaster models of mountains, hills, beaches and tide pools. I’ve learned to create a model from hardened foam and then cover that with pottery plaster.

The pottery plaster is stronger than Plaster of Paris. In fact, I add a hardener to the mix of powdered pottery plaster that makes it “clinker”. I can form, carve, sculpt, texture and smooth the land. I’ve done flat oceans and coastlines with waves. I’ve crafted hills in Jalama Beach in California and mountains in Tucson, Arizona. I also created abstracts to study shadows. A light source can be added to the three-dimensional watercolor painting. This addition gives the effect of a western setting sun, for example.

The lights come with some of the paintings in shadow boxes. The lights are battery operated LED lights with a motion sensor. How cool is that?

The plaster takes the watercolor easily and it sticks nearly permanently. I’ve experimented with water on the plaster and just how much it can stand without degrading. I’ve used a laser level to find “horizontal” on the plaster cast. I’m at the point where I’m happy with the results. Many of the art pieces are for sale on this website https://watercolorwildflowers.com/store/

three dimensional watercolor painting of tide pools using yellow, white, sienna, viridian, and ultramarine blue
Tide Pools 1, 34″ x 34″ x 3″ watercolor on plaster
Dorland's cold wax jar used to seal watercolor on plaster relief model
Topographic relief model of Jalama Beach, California. Rocky cliffs give way to rolling green and red hillsides where ice plant grows in abundance.
large plaster on board abstract relief of desert mountains in a black floating frame. Colors of yellow and red and turquoise change from the warm southern light to cool blue shadows away from the light.
36″ x 36″ plaster on board abstract relief of desert mountains. Colors of yellow and red morph from the warm southern light. Turquoise transitions to cool blue shadows away from the light.