Every month we like to spread the love by sending a 1 gallon kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram ... and then we share their work with the world!
Congratulations to artist Selina Wilson ... our second lucky winner for February! Selina is an Australian artist who lives in the town of Newstead, near Melbourne.
With a background in fine arts, Selina has always been fond of post-impressionist still life oil paintings, like those of artist Paul Cézanne whose studio she visited in Provence, France. It was after this visit that Selina dreamt up ( literally ) a new take on the still-life: she came up with the idea of embedding tea cups into a resin coated painting. Not only was this technique successful, but Selina found that ArtResin allowed her to replicate the look of oils, but with acrylic: "I love oil paint and ArtResin gives me the depth of colour of oils, but with the less toxic acrylics."
Selina's teacup pieces are created using the dam method, in which she builds a wall around her piece, pouring, embellishing and building up resin layers one by one.
Selina's first step is to source her teacups: they are either gifted to her or bought second hand.
Next, she sources background paper in patterns she loves: these could be either wallpaper or scrapbooking paper.
Selina prefers to use wood panels - they are strong and sturdy enough to support the weight of the resin layers.
Selina mounts the prints onto the wood panels, then begins painting embellishments in acrylic.
Next, Selina cuts the cups in half.
Next, Selina places the teacup in the position she wants, builds a dam around the panel with aluminum tape, and pours on the first layer of resin.
Once the first layer cures, Selina begins the process of layering paint, embellishments and resin, over and over again, until it feels complete.
Though Selina was initially drawn to resin as a surface coating, Selina has discovered the magic of resin layers: her final pieces are often an inch or so thick, and the embellished layers allow for a multidimensional effect, much like a shadowbox. Selina says: "I was drawn to the glossy finish and how it helps enrich the acrylic paint colour. Now its an integral part of my teacup series. They simply wouldn’t exist without ArtResin."
Selina is working on making art her full time career. She says: "A few years ago, I set aside a day a week for my art and that has grown into more and more time that I hadn’t realised I had free or could make free. I’m probably 40-60% spread between my art practice and my other work as a Massage Therapist."
For Selina, creating is pure joy. She says: "It’s my escape, my meditation, my gift to myself. When I enter my studio, the world blurs and I’m living in the present moment, just me and my art."
You can find Selina's work on her website selinawilsonart.com.au, at open studio events across Victoria. Check her website and social media for details!
Congratulations on your win, Selina!
To see more of Selina's beautiful work:
visit her website: www.selinawilsonart.com.au
follow her on Instagram: @selina_wilson_art
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!
