Epoxy Resin Mixed Media Fine Art
San Francisco-based artist, Joni West, creates vibrant artworks with a variety of media that are unusual and captivating. Her work falls into two basic categories; epoxy resin based mixed media and fine art mosaic. For her mixed media artwork, she used the TAP General Purpose Epoxy as her epoxy resin.
In her own words, here's how she created her mixed media artwork:
"My mixed media artwork is both a complete joy and a tremendous challenge. Working primarily with epoxy resin as a viscous base, I create formulas with unique pigments, powders, and dyes. I work more like a chef who uses no recipes than a scientist who measures each element. The only decision I make before I start is whether I will create the piece on wood, metal, or canvas, as this has a dramatic effect on the outcome. The heat of the curing (hardening) process causes the painting to interact in a way that adds texture to the surface while the other substrates do not. Upon my foundation, I pour, prod and wrangle the mixed media into the composition I desire.
The technique is not an easy one to control. Timing is a critical element in the creation of this art. For example, a brilliant red may begin the curing process in five minutes, yet it may take 24 hours for a copper formula to cure fully. The more viscous methods may continue to spread while other media mixes are fixing in place. It has a dramatic effect on the ultimately finished work of art.
The challenge comes in seeing what colors and forms I can initiate with the media. It is tremendously satisfying to watch a piece begin to take shape through the fluidity of the liquid medium and then become a stable and tactile object. The process feels like dabbling in alchemy. To me, the magic of each piece is found in the shapes, intense colors, and dimensions they present as well as the feelings they evoke."
If interested in Joni's work, she can be reached at (415) 776-4755 or by email at joni@joniwest.com.
In her own words, here's how she created her mixed media artwork:
"My mixed media artwork is both a complete joy and a tremendous challenge. Working primarily with epoxy resin as a viscous base, I create formulas with unique pigments, powders, and dyes. I work more like a chef who uses no recipes than a scientist who measures each element. The only decision I make before I start is whether I will create the piece on wood, metal, or canvas, as this has a dramatic effect on the outcome. The heat of the curing (hardening) process causes the painting to interact in a way that adds texture to the surface while the other substrates do not. Upon my foundation, I pour, prod and wrangle the mixed media into the composition I desire.
The technique is not an easy one to control. Timing is a critical element in the creation of this art. For example, a brilliant red may begin the curing process in five minutes, yet it may take 24 hours for a copper formula to cure fully. The more viscous methods may continue to spread while other media mixes are fixing in place. It has a dramatic effect on the ultimately finished work of art.
The challenge comes in seeing what colors and forms I can initiate with the media. It is tremendously satisfying to watch a piece begin to take shape through the fluidity of the liquid medium and then become a stable and tactile object. The process feels like dabbling in alchemy. To me, the magic of each piece is found in the shapes, intense colors, and dimensions they present as well as the feelings they evoke."
If interested in Joni's work, she can be reached at (415) 776-4755 or by email at joni@joniwest.com.
