Where do you find all your sea glass?
This is actually a question I get asked a lot at markets and fairs! All the sea glass, sea shells and sea pottery pieces are found on the beaches of Vanouver Island and predominantly in the Victoria area. I beachcomb frequently myself and know a couple of good spots that are of course top secret, maybe I’ll make a treasure map one day! Collecting all the pieces one by one from the beach is fun but time consuming, I still need to find some time to make art! I get some help from other local seaglass collecters who love to beachcomb on a regular basis. All sea glass I use is genuine and locally picked up piece by piece, I do not use a rock tumbler or buy machine-made glass pieces online.
How do you make your art?
Maybe tied for first place, this question is also very frequently asked. In a nutshell, I lay out a design on the glass pane of a picture frame and set the whole design in a coating of epoxy resin. Different resins have different drying times, allowing me first make the design and then pour the resin or vice versa. The epoxy resin has the tendency to cling to the sides of the sea glass pieces and shell, giving it a bit of a fused glass look. The epoxy resin is self-leveling, so that part is fairly straightforward. You just have to make sure you get all the air bubbles, dust particles, and dog hairs out!
Do you offer workshops?
Up till now, I have not offered workshops, mainly because epoxy resins can be a tricky medium to work with. applying it to an artwork can easily get messy, it requires drying time and when used in combination with a heat gun or torch, fumes might be present. I would have to think about a proper workshop format to make it all safe and enjoyable. If you are interested please follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I will announce any workshops there.
Do your art pieces yellow over time?
Almost never asked but very important to me. Most of my art pieces (except my small whimsical art pieces) are completely set in a layer of epoxy resin. Because of the popularity resin art projects, hundreds of epoxy resin brands are now available online. All resins will yellow a bit over time, even though manufacturers do not like to admit or advertise it. I have researched a lot of available products, tried a bunch, and chosen a resin that is UV resistant and contains UV stabilizers in the product to reduce resin degradation and consequent yellowing. In a perfect world, the artwork would stay in perfect condition for decennia, but much like an art print, painting, or lacquered wood, resin art will yellow somewhat over time. Please be aware hanging the artwork in full sunlight will accelerate the yellowing process (ambering). However, the yellowing is less noticeable in front of a window versus hanging it on a white wall. I am trying new resins on an ongoing basis to find one that suits my purpose best. I really hope to find a resin that will not yellow at all over time, dries hard, and keeps my artworks in the same condition as the day they were made.
Where do you sell your art?
I currently sell my art in a couple of stores: Seawards in Sidney, BC and Odyssey’s End in Cowichan Bay, BC. Since 2 other stores that I sold through recently closed, I will likely find a couple of new stores to display my art in 2023. I regularly attend markets and craft fairs, but there is currently not one market that I attend every weekend. I am most likely to attend a variety of events all over Vancouver Island and always highlight the events on my social media channels. You are always welcome to contact me to inquire about available art pieces and events!
Recent Comments