So Iāve been seduced by resin and watching far too many space videos and Hubble images of nebula.Ā I already love using light in my work so I wanted to produce something that looked like a cloud of gas creating new stars within.Ā A star nursery.Ā Itās taken me months of trial and error.
At first glance it may seem like Iāve just dumped a ton of glitter and pigment powder into resin and given it a stir.Ā I wish it was that easy.Ā These have to be made in layers but hard level lines look artificial.Ā So I swish and swirl the resin around until it cures chaotically adding tiny amounts of powder and glitter teasing out tendrils of colour and flashes of iridescence.Ā I use a flattened toothpicks for the job.Ā
The next step was creating the look of stars forming within the cloud.Ā Enter fibre optics.Ā I cut and bundle the strands sealing them together with resin.Ā I then bend them out into all directions.Ā Finally I cut them down to fit into the mold. At some point I insert them into the resin being careful to set the main bunch into the central point of the mold. In some designs the threads are obvious - in others Iāve hidden the bunch using dark pigments.
At this point I have a sphere of resin with a fiber opticĀ āstalkā sticking out.Ā I paint the last layer black and wait for it to dry.Ā I then cut down the stalk and drill it down flush to the resin.Ā The light is produced by a tiny LED widget.Ā Some pieces have static white light that Iāve dyed.Ā In others Iāve used a rotating RGB colour LEDs.Ā I seal the end and set it in another layer of resin.Ā Fortunately they have a handy ring that also makes it easy to turn on and off with a simple twist.Ā It takes three LR621 batteries equivalent to 364, AG1, SR621SW.Ā Ā
Iāve had trouble uploading the videos so Iāll re-shoot tonight for an acceptable file size and format for Tumblr.Ā Unfortunately trying to photograph these spheres is very difficult.Ā They are glass and very shiny. You canāt see the depth and complexity in a photo.Ā Maybe I need a new camera with a good macro setting.Ā Ā
Itās terrifying releasing a new product so different from my normal work.Ā Are these steampunk?Ā Not really but I hope my work transcends a genre.Ā I want to take light from tacky novelty jewellery into an art product for adults to wear that will amaze and wonder.Ā That is my goal with these.Ā Iāve made several of them so they will dominate my feed in the next weeks.Ā I hope you donāt get sick of seeing them.Ā Itās fantastic using colour again but itās been a serious financial investment in resin, pigments, equipment, exotic glitters/sequins/foils, molds and LED lights.Ā Some I had to buy in serious bulk.Ā Itās impossible to calculate the hours Iāve spent creating and perfecting these.
Iāve used three different width sizes: 20mm (0.86in), 25mm (1in) and 30mm (1.2in).Ā I havenāt put a chain on some of them.Ā I will give options in type of chain or cord and drop length to buyers. Some may prefer no chain.Ā Iām also thinking about creating a stand turning it into a unique ornament when not being worn.Ā Iām also hoping, as my technique improves, to replicate specific nebula like the famousĀ āPillars of Creationā image captured by Hubble.Ā Ā
Some may not see anyĀ āspaceā reference.Ā Friends have called certain pieces āan ice caveā,Ā āunderwater sceneā andĀ āstorm clouds with lighteningā.Ā Ā
They will be available soon in my Etsy shop.Ā Depending on the covid situation Iām hoping the big music festivals in spring and summer will be happening.Ā It would be the perfect accessory for those day/night events.