Congratulations to Meghann and Kevin Haase of Collective Geekery, our latest ArtResin winners! Based in Berthoud, Colorado, Meghann and Kevin are a husband and wife team who create 3D mixed media pieces using paint, resin, and reclaimed and upcycled wood and metal:
"Our art is a fusion of creative processes, flowing from the vibrant, dynamic chaos of acrylic paint and resin to the solid, industrial elegance of wood and metal. Meghann's paintings evoke imagery of rippling water, blazing fire, and flourishing vegetation. Kevin's forged, carved, and fabricated dimensional elements amplify the pieces' motion as they “escape the frame” -- traversing, fracturing, encircling, and expanding the composition."
"Our art is a fusion of creative processes, flowing from the vibrant, dynamic chaos of acrylic paint and resin to the solid, industrial elegance of wood and metal. Meghann's paintings evoke imagery of rippling water, blazing fire, and flourishing vegetation. Kevin's forged, carved, and fabricated dimensional elements amplify the pieces' motion as they “escape the frame” -- traversing, fracturing, encircling, and expanding the composition."
Does where you're from or where you currently live influence your work?
Given that so many of our works are aquatic in theme, many assume that we're from somewhere coastal! Both Colorado-born and raised, we joke that "we just like blue" and "fish are more forgiving to sculpt than moose".
What are your art backgrounds? Are you self-taught or did you study art?
Both of us are largely self-taught. We've benefitted greatly learning from those around us in the art community, but most of our work is centered around play, trial and error, and leaving ourselves open to mistakes and detours.
"Interloper". This playful pufferfish piece featured pigmented resin heavily, creating the entire water backdrop and the color gradient from sunny shallows to sandy sea floor.
Are you full-time artists or do you create around work hours?
We both have day jobs: Kevin is a construction safety director, and Meghann is a veterinarian.
What do you love about the mediums that you use in your work?
We heavily utilize reclaimed construction materials, mining non-traditional creative potential from an industry rife with waste. "Pedestrian" media like rebar and plywood, normally ignored in our daily lives or covered by more "aesthetic" materials, are allowed to shine with renewed beauty and significance. Many of our works begin with an idea centered around a unique piece of wood or metal; our job is to get out of the way and find ways to let it shine!
"A-Z-alea": This work is an example of using elements from the "Fail Bucket", where components of discarded works are used in a "patchwork" quilt for a new piece.
How did you discover resin?
We utilized resin from the very beginning of our business, not only using it to topcoat our painted works, but also as part of resincast jewelry projects (which were part of our early portfolio but have been deprioritized in favor of the larger mixed media works).
How has resin impacted your artwork?
There is absolutely no substitute for resin in the creation of our work. A crystal-clear resin topcoat brings out all of the dimension and shimmer in the pigments we use to create the color in our works, far better than any other clearcoat we've tried. We compose some works directly with pigmented resin as well; its ability to create depth and movement for subjects like sun-dappled water and the Northern Lights is unparalleled. We've also experimented with using resin sculpturally, using it to make water splashes, flowers, and jellyfish. Finally, Kevin is an amateur bladesmith, and uses resin in many of his knife handles.
How did you discover resin?
We utilized resin from the very beginning of our business, not only using it to topcoat our painted works, but also as part of resincast jewelry projects (which were part of our early portfolio but have been deprioritized in favor of the larger mixed media works).
How has resin impacted your artwork?
There is absolutely no substitute for resin in the creation of our work. A crystal-clear resin topcoat brings out all of the dimension and shimmer in the pigments we use to create the color in our works, far better than any other clearcoat we've tried. We compose some works directly with pigmented resin as well; its ability to create depth and movement for subjects like sun-dappled water and the Northern Lights is unparalleled. We've also experimented with using resin sculpturally, using it to make water splashes, flowers, and jellyfish. Finally, Kevin is an amateur bladesmith, and uses resin in many of his knife handles.
"Lurking": The color for this piece was created entirely with resin tinted with pigments and paints. It's also one of the more Colorado-esque of our pieces, trading seascapes for riverbeds.
"Lurking" process shot: creation of the riverscape on a reclaimed door. Fun trivia: we wanted to make sure we had enough resin for all the colors we wanted to use, so we had enough leftover to make a sister piece (seen on the floor in the background). We also filled up a blank for one of Kevin's knives with the extra resin.
"Lurking" process shot: all of the resin cups we used -- more than twenty different colors of pigment and paint!
Can you provide a brief rundown of your process?
We work together as a team, but there's not any particular set protocol for our creativity. Sometimes Kevin has an idea for a wood or metal sculpture and he comes to Meghann to bring in the color palette. Sometimes Meghann creates a resin or acrylic painting and has ideas for sculptural elements to enhance it. Sometimes neither of us has good ideas about how to move forward with a piece and it sits in timeout in the garage for a while until someone gets inspired to revisit it. ;)
Why do you want to make art? What motivates you to create?
Creating art gives us an excuse to play, to experiment, to fail, and to learn. It seems in our modern world that every moment has to be locked in service to productivity; art allows us to embrace our whimsical sides, and we love inviting our viewers along for the ride.
Can you provide a brief rundown of your process?
We work together as a team, but there's not any particular set protocol for our creativity. Sometimes Kevin has an idea for a wood or metal sculpture and he comes to Meghann to bring in the color palette. Sometimes Meghann creates a resin or acrylic painting and has ideas for sculptural elements to enhance it. Sometimes neither of us has good ideas about how to move forward with a piece and it sits in timeout in the garage for a while until someone gets inspired to revisit it. ;)
Why do you want to make art? What motivates you to create?
Creating art gives us an excuse to play, to experiment, to fail, and to learn. It seems in our modern world that every moment has to be locked in service to productivity; art allows us to embrace our whimsical sides, and we love inviting our viewers along for the ride.
"Sanctum Artema": This work is an all-skate of mixed media! Kevin carved a wooden deer skull, forged its antlers, and created the metal mountainscape. Each flower was handmade, petal by petal, from acrylic paint skins cut and fastened to wires and reinforced with resin.
"Sanctum Artema" detail shot
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
While Kevin's wood and metal work tends to be more intentional in its execution, Meghann's fluid art and resin work is often marked by "dropping the reins" when it comes to controlling every drop of color. As a result, the finished work often looks much different than the vision that prompted its creation. Sometimes these pieces end up redone or in the "fail bucket" where they become base materials for another work. Sometimes they exceed our wildest expectations and become something even greater than our initial vision. This "yes, and" mindset of setting ideas and processes in place and then rolling with the results as they unfold has proven to be beneficial in our real lives too!
What do you hope someone sees or feels when they look at your art?
Our work could be described as the creative results achieved when two humans who “don’t know what they don’t know” are provided with paint and power tools, allowing our available materials and sheer whimsy to guide the way. We intend not to replicate the world's beauty, but to hint at it; to unravel the unique contours and delicate motions that grant an element its identity. The remaining details are left to the viewer, inviting them to explore the implications, omissions, and imperfections in each piece. We hope that each viewer sees our art as an ongoing conversation; finding new details or interpretations every time they interact with it.
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
While Kevin's wood and metal work tends to be more intentional in its execution, Meghann's fluid art and resin work is often marked by "dropping the reins" when it comes to controlling every drop of color. As a result, the finished work often looks much different than the vision that prompted its creation. Sometimes these pieces end up redone or in the "fail bucket" where they become base materials for another work. Sometimes they exceed our wildest expectations and become something even greater than our initial vision. This "yes, and" mindset of setting ideas and processes in place and then rolling with the results as they unfold has proven to be beneficial in our real lives too!
What do you hope someone sees or feels when they look at your art?
Our work could be described as the creative results achieved when two humans who “don’t know what they don’t know” are provided with paint and power tools, allowing our available materials and sheer whimsy to guide the way. We intend not to replicate the world's beauty, but to hint at it; to unravel the unique contours and delicate motions that grant an element its identity. The remaining details are left to the viewer, inviting them to explore the implications, omissions, and imperfections in each piece. We hope that each viewer sees our art as an ongoing conversation; finding new details or interpretations every time they interact with it.
"Slack Tide": This work was created in three pieces on a reclaimed door. The background was painted and then clear coated with resin. The reef was made from roofing foam and plaster, then painted and sealed with resin. The jellyfish were created using resin cured between elastic bowl covers (full disclosure, we used fast-set and UV resin from another company for this part). Their tentacles and all the components of the reefscape were made from reclaimed metal and hardware.
"Slack Tide" detail shot
How do you define success as an artist? What does that look and feel like for you?
Many of our best works started with the question "What if we....?", and so success is continuing to find new ways to ask that question; challenging ourselves to take on new subjects, media, or techniques. Our favorite compliment from art enthusiasts is "I've never seen anything like this before", and so success is continuing to bring our work to new appreciators who will discover wonder and delight in ways they've never seen, and decide to make our work a part of the whimsical side of their own lives.
How do you define success as an artist? What does that look and feel like for you?
Many of our best works started with the question "What if we....?", and so success is continuing to find new ways to ask that question; challenging ourselves to take on new subjects, media, or techniques. Our favorite compliment from art enthusiasts is "I've never seen anything like this before", and so success is continuing to bring our work to new appreciators who will discover wonder and delight in ways they've never seen, and decide to make our work a part of the whimsical side of their own lives.
"The Silent Ones": The Aurora Borealis in this work (as well as the scrying pool beneath) were created with pigmented resin added to a painted background. Colorshift pigments were used which change from green and purple to magenta and blue depending on the angle of view.
What's your favorite resin tip you'd like to share with our readers?
All learned the hard way:
What's your favorite resin tip you'd like to share with our readers?
All learned the hard way:
Mix, mix, mix, mix!
NEVER scrape your mixing cup onto your work.
NEVER scrape your mixing cup onto your work.
For large works, get your resin out of the big mixing bucket and into smaller cups ASAP before it starts heating up and flash-curing. Having a partner to tag team here is invaluable, because "pot time waits for nobody".
If you try to work on a "quick resin project" without putting on your protective resinwork clothing, you are guaranteed to end up with a new addition to your resinwork wardrobe.
Where do you sell your work?
Because of its dimensionality, our work is best experienced in person. Therefore most of our sales come from summer art festivals and gallery exhibitions, with a few online sales from our social media platforms and website.
If you try to work on a "quick resin project" without putting on your protective resinwork clothing, you are guaranteed to end up with a new addition to your resinwork wardrobe.
Where do you sell your work?
Because of its dimensionality, our work is best experienced in person. Therefore most of our sales come from summer art festivals and gallery exhibitions, with a few online sales from our social media platforms and website.
"Whaleshine": The water in this piece was sculpted from drizzles of tinted resin, peeled up and shaped prior to final curing.
Congratulations on your win, Meghann & Kevin!
To see more of Collective Geekery's work:
Follow them on Instagram: @collectivegeekery
To see more of Collective Geekery's work:
Follow them on Instagram: @collectivegeekery
Every month, to celebrate our community of artists, ArtResin will send out a 32 oz kit to two lucky people who have shared the work they've created with ArtResin.
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy for Resin Art.
