Congratulations to artist Diane Gelman, our latest ArtResin winner! Diane is a mixed media artist based in Houston, Texas who specializes in food-based paintings and soft sculpture.
Does where you're from or where you currently live influence your work?
Everything I am and do is reflected by where I’m from and where I live!
What's your art background?
I studied food and Nutrition in college and worked as a Registered Dietitian for years. I had no idea I was an artist although I was always very creative. I randomly decided to paint a mural of vegetables in my kitchen about 35 years ago. I realized that I enjoyed painting so much that I decided to take painting at a local community college. Eventually I attended and graduated from the Glassell School of Art - part of the Museum of Fine Arts - Houston in 2012.
Are you a full-time artist?
I’m a full-time artist with a studio in a complete campus of buildings with other “creatives".
What do you love about the mediums that you use in your work?
I love playing with various materials and seeing what I can do with them. I especially enjoy integrating disparate materials together into cohesive artwork.
Life is Sweet
Acrylic & collage on canvas with resin
48" x 48" x 5"
Fresh Donuts
Acrylic on repurposed styrofoam with resin
24" rounds x 9"h
Candy Fantasy Series
Acrylic on panel with collage and resin
36"h x 36"w
Ice Cream Bars
Acrylic on hand carved and assembled styrofoam installation with collage (resin & wooden stick) 32-34"h x 14-16"w x 2-3"d
How did you discover resin?
I admired resined artwork that I saw. I had gone online to learn about it and was put off by the potential toxicity of using resin. I learned how to use it from a fellow artist, who explained that the ArtResin product was not toxic to use. Plus, along the way I developed my own routine of using a respirator when I resin and of leaving my studio as soon as possible after I apply it - rather than babysitting it.
How has resin impacted your artwork?
Resin has made my work stand out and be more exciting.
Can you provide a brief rundown of your process?
My process depends on what I’m resining. For artwork on panels, I carefully tape off the back edges of my painting. I put down a heavy-duty plastic tarp on my worktables. I place the painting atop the lids from my acrylic paint tubes in the corners to elevate it about an inch from the table. I mix equal amounts of resin and hardener in a plastic container - counting as I stir, for 6 minutes. I pour the resin all over and use gloved hands looking at the piece from many angles, to make sure all of my college elements are covered evenly. I use a heat gun to burst the bubbles - large and small for at least 5 minutes. I prefer a heat gun to the risk of having a flammable heat torch in my studio.
For work on canvas, I usually reinforce the back with cut to fit foam core boards. I also have learned to work in steps in order to prevent pooling of resin from heavy items. For a recent triptych of realistic, oversized vegetables made from styrofoam and paper, I covered the vegetables with resin ( separately from the canvas) and let them dry. I then applied the vegetables to the canvas and applied another coating of resin. For my styrofoam sculptures, I apply resin but do not use a heat gun since it would melt the styrofoam.
Why do you want to make art? What motivates you to create?
I love to make things. It's fun to invent new things and I especially love making artwork about food - which is my biggest passion.
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
I took up art making as an escape from raising problem children! I could totally loose myself and my worries when making art. It continues to be a refuge from the difficulties of life and I lose myself into it every time.
Peapod Sculpture
Acrylic on repurposed and carved boogie board with Styrofoam, string paper, and resin
46"h x 32"w x 16"d
Rainbow Carrots, Golden Beets, Tuscan Kale
Acrylic on canvas with collage (string, styrofoam, paper, repurposed twist ties, resin)
48"h x 24"w 6"d
First Lieutenant Fennel Reporting for Duty
Acrylic on repurposed mannequin with paper, string, styrofoam, glue transfers of actual fennel greens, resin
36"h x 24"w x 14"d
What do you hope someone sees or feels when they look at your art?
Joy
How do you define success as an artist? What does that look and feel like for you?
Success is making art that I’m satisfied with. It is an added bonus to sell my artwork to people that pay me to have my work in their midst.
What's your favorite resin tip you'd like to share with our readers?
I like that I can correct mistakes by re-resining. I have modified artwork that I’m dissatisfied with and then reapplied resin to the whole painting or sometimes only to specific areas.
Where do you sell your work?
I sell my work from my studio, through a couple of galleries and with Saatchiart on line.
Soft Cherry Sculpture
Acrylic and collage (paper, styrofoam with resin)
21"h x 17"w x 5"d
L’Orangerie
Acrylic on panel and collage
42”w x 39”h x 5”d
Slice of Pepperoni Pizza Soft Sculpture
Acrylic on wall insulation with styrofoam, paper, and resin
30"h x 8"w
Giant Melting Ice Cream Sculpture (Drumstick)
Acrylic on hand carved foam core board, Styrofoam with resin
80"h x 44"w x 22"d
Congratulations on your win, Diane!
To see more of Diane's work:
Visit her website: www.dianegelman.com
Follow her on Instagram: @dianegelman
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.
