Why Resin?

I found the medium of resin after seeing colorful and playful sculptures made of polyester resin. I had zero knowledge of this material and immediately began my research. Clear resin is commonly used in making surfboards, boats and many other products. Many artists use it as a clear coat for coat their art. However, it is fairly unusual to use pigmented resin as an art medium and I was attracted to its ability to be shaped and molded.

Circles in Play by Paula Gibbs

It’s uniqueness, though, made it very difficult to learn since there is very little information available on resin as an art medium. If I had wanted to fiberglass a boat, build a surfboard, or make jewelry, it is all there in how-to videos. I had the good fortune of finding a couple of very kind resin artists who shared just enough information to help me take big steps forward. That, and hundreds of hours of research, along with lots of trial and error got me to the point where I could create art pieces I thought were good enough to share with the world.

Originally I made art pieces that were comprised of multiple parts, installations, they are called. They typically have a rigid foam base with resin poured over the face. The center is deeper giving each piece a gradient look.

I created my own style that involves several layers of dripped pigmented resin. I really like this style and will do more experimenting and designing. I also use a process of pouring pigmented resin in puddles onto a wood panel and made a series of these pieces. I find this quite challenging because in this point in my art career, I like to know what a piece will look like before I start it.

Galaxies Gone Wild by Paula Gibbs

Technicolor Shield by Paula Gibbs