Paula Gibbs creating art

In May of 2012 Paula Gibbs lay in a hospital bed with advanced pneumonia and a melon-sized infection mass that, had it burst, would have killed her. Fortunately, it didn’t. So, after a 10-day stay, she was finally released from hospital/prison. She thought she should try something completely different, something she had never done. Paula chose to explore the creative world of art. Her recovery time was spent researching the possibilities of art forms.

Paula says about her art, “There are two primary factors that shape my designs. As a child, I was attracted to abstract art for its bold colors and shapes. And, as a child growing up in the 60’s, I was surrounded by mid-century modern design. This is the style that gives me a visceral experience. I am fortunate enough to live in the mid-century modern mecca of Palm Springs. So, many of my artworks have that flair of mid-century modern.”

Paula came upon the medium of resin after seeing colorful and playful sculptures made of polyester resin. She immediately began researching resin and fell in love with its uniqueness with regard to art and its ability to be shaped and molded.

It’s uniqueness, though, made it very difficult to learn since there is very little information available on resin as an art medium. Paula said, “If I had wanted to fiberglass a boat, it is all there in how-to videos.” However, she had the good fortune of finding a couple of very kind resin artists who shared just enough information to get her big steps forward. That, and hundreds of hours of research, along with lots of trial and error has gotten Paula to the point where she can create art pieces she feels are good enough to share with the world.