Our Process | Whimsy by the Sea

Creating Whimsy by the Sea Art

Whimsy by the Sea is located in Florida and the ocean plays a part in the everyday life of the business. Most of the Whimsy by the Sea designs have white waves as part of the design and the flowing edges of the signature unmolded WbtS resin also reflect the movement of the ocean.

Another big inspiration comes from art glass. I love the color, translucency, shine and shapes of art glass. However, I'm a klutz. So if I want the beauty of art glass in my home, epoxy resin is the solution. At shows where we are exhibiting (my sister helps me at most shows), we have to tell everyone "It's not glass" over and over. People are always amazed by how lightweight the vases and bowls are and how much they really do look like glass.

From design to being fully cured our process takes 4 weeks. The bulk of this time is resting time but there is also sanding, a lot of sanding. Click on the photos below for more details on how we create our art.

The Process

Planning the Pour Choosing colors, planning the pour and getting all the supplies out. I usually mix at least 900 ml of resin at a time. This was a pink day so I have a selection of pink alcohol inks and mica powder (#eyecandypigments).	Prepping the Resin Right below the work table is where I keep my open resin. I primarily use table top epoxy resin but if I'm doing an art piece or a custom order I may use different types of resin. I'm in Florida, so I don't have to worry about it being cold but humidity is always a concern here. I have an open working time of about an hour most days.	Step 1 This is an example of a regular pouring day. I pour and then wait between 45 minutes and 8 hours for the bowls to be ready to drape over a form. I use plastic trays or plates so I can move the hardening resin if I need more space on the work table. I can, and do sometimes, pour directly on my work surface with just a piece of thin plastic. But after years of deciding I needed to move something just a little bit and destroying a pour, I found the plates were a huge help.
Step 2: Drying Overnight Once the flat, unmolded pours have set up so they are still pliable but not running, I drape them over a form. This is definitely not a trash can from Ikea I've draped this bowl on. I use other bowls, vases and trays but I also experiment with boxes, cups, fish bowls, pieces of wood, whatever might work. Find me in thrift stores looking at the bottoms of bowls to see if I can use them for a form.	Step 3: Flip and Repour Once the poured bowls have rested overnight, I flip them over and repour the middle. For the Extra Small bowls with turtles or mermaids in the bottom this is when that happens. For just about everything else, I use a simple wave pattern. This step stabilizes the vases especially and makes them truly functional art.	Step 4 After about a week, the epoxy resin has cured enough that I can sand the edges to remove any sharp points. This is a long process involving multiple dremels, a respirator, eye protection and a rubber apron. This step takes the most time in creating each item.
Step 5 Once sanded, it takes about 3 weeks for the bowls to fully cure. These bowls are just hanging out resting have their edges painted. This picture really shows the Dale Chihuly influence in my art, I love how these look like the ceiling colors in the main lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.	Step 6: Painted Edges The last step is the painted edge. I use either silver or gold to complete these with a simple, refined elegance to highlight the free flowing edges.

Creating Whimsy by the Sea Art

The Process

Planning the Pour

Choosing colors, planning the pour and getting all the supplies out. I usually mix at least 900 ml of resin at a time. This was a pink day so I have a selection of pink alcohol inks and mica powder (#eyecandypigments).

Prepping the Resin

Step 1

Step 2: Drying Overnight

Step 3: Flip and Repour

Step 4

After about a week, the epoxy resin has cured enough that I can sand the edges to remove any sharp points. This is a long process involving multiple dremels, a respirator, eye protection and a rubber apron. This step takes the most time in creating each item.

Step 5

Once sanded, it takes about 3 weeks for the bowls to fully cure. These bowls are just hanging out resting have their edges painted. This picture really shows the Dale Chihuly influence in my art, I love how these look like the ceiling colors in the main lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Step 6: Painted Edges

The last step is the painted edge. I use either silver or gold to complete these with a simple, refined elegance to highlight the free flowing edges.