ArtResin PASSES Nonyl Phenol Migration Tests
Our priority in developing ArtResin was—and is—user safety. We want you to feel confident about ArtResin’s safety so we are making our test data transparent and available here on our website.
ArtResin epoxy resin has been tested by third party laboratories for leaching and migration and has passed in all cases across worldwide standards and regulations, including USA, Canada, EU, Australia, and Great Britain. This includes passing the standardized test for a chemical called nonyl phenol.
Our nonyl phenol test is one of many tests under ArtResin’s belt. Check out the other test results!
Third party test results for Nonyl Phenol Migration in ArtResin, 2020.
For more information, please check out our blogs on ArtResin's Safety, our Food Safety Rating, and How to use ArtResin Safely.
ArtResin Epoxy Resin Passes Food Safety Tests
YES it's true, cured ArtResin can be safely used as a food contact surface! This means that when used as directed, cured ArtResin will not leach any substances into food that comes into contact with it.
Don't just take our word for it, however ...
ArtResin epoxy resin has been rigorously tested by a third party for leaching and migration across worldwide standards and regulations and PASSED every test. In other words, ArtResin is fully inert when cured.
Read on to learn more...
What Is A Migration Test?
Migration is the term used to describe the transfer of chemical substances from food contact materials into food. A migration test determines the extent of chemical transfer from a food contact material into food. Using food simulants to approximate actual food, the test measures a material's stability and inertness by identifying both the type of substance leached and the amount.
Following methods outlined by governing bodies from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and the European Union, the lab tested ArtResin against 13 different migration and food safety tests.
All 13 tests used ArtResin that was prepared according to label instructions - that is, pure ArtResin without colorants or additives, mixed in equal parts by volume, stirred for 3 minutes, torched to release bubbles and allowed to cure for 72 hrs.
As evidenced below, ArtResin passed each and every test, determining that it is fully inert when cured. In other words, no chemical substances will migrate into food.
Further, ArtResin has PASSED nonyl phenol migration testing by a third party laboratory.
These findings are important because they assure that no chemical contamination will occur when food comes into contact with cured ArtResin, making it safe to use on tableware, plates, charcuterie boards, serving trays, or anything else intended to be used for serving food.
⚠️ PLEASE NOTE:
- ArtResin has been deemed safe for food contact once it has cured, but please keep food or beverages well away from ArtResin in its pre-cured liquid form.
- ArtResin is NOT edible or potable in either liquid or cured form.
- The maximum temperature cured ArtResin can come in contact with is 120F or 50C. Exposing ArtResin to temperatures higher than this may cause irreparable damage to the resined surface. Since hot food may exceed these temperatures, placing it on a resined surface should be avoided.
If I Add A Colorant To ArtResin, Is It Still Food Safe?
Adding certain colorants may alter ArtResin's non-toxicity and non-flammability and can compromise its food safety designation. For example, adding alcohol ink to resin creates beautiful, colourful effects but since alcohol is toxic and flammable, ArtResin mixed with alcohol ink can no longer be classified as non-toxic.
The lab evaluated pure ArtResin ( i.e. without colorants or additives ) in determining it to be food safe. It should be noted that the food safe status may become compromised with the addition of foreign products into the ArtResin mixture. If you're looking for a safe option, our ResinTint liquid colorants are vegetable oil based and as such, are non-toxic.
We are currently awaiting further test results to certify that ArtResin tinted with ResinTint is also food safe!
💡TIP: If you're in any doubt as to whether your colorant may be safe, apply a layer of clear, non-tinted ArtResin as a final top coat to be sure.
Can I Use ArtResin On Coasters and Hot Plates?
ArtResin works great for coasters, but not so great for hot plates and here’s why:
the maximum temperature that cured ArtResin can be exposed to is 120F/50C. Any temperature higher than 120F/50C, such as those from a dish straight out of the oven, may lead to some irreparable damage on your resined surface.
The heat generated from the bottom of a hot mug, on the other hand, is nowhere near that hot so you can put it on a coaster without worry. 
💡TIP: You can make coasters out of ArtResin and wood, tile, or glass mosaic, you can pour it in a silicone mold, you can even embed objects in it such as rocks, beer caps, shells etc. For more creative inspiration, check out our blog How To Make A Resin Coaster.
Can I Use ArtResin On Drinkware Like Mugs, Tumblers And Glasses?
We recommend using ArtResin on the exterior of drinkware and only on drink ware intended for use with cold beverages. We don't recommend using ArtResin to line the interior of drinkware. This is not a safety issue ( ArtResin is inert once cured ) but rather a temperature issue. The maximum temperature ArtResin can be exposed to is 120F / 50C. A hot beverage, like a freshly brewed coffee or tea, is far hotter than 120F / 50C and the resin can become irreparably damaged if exposed to temperatures higher than this.
Best to err on the side of caution and use ArtResin on the exterior of drinkware intended for cold beverages or on an insulated tumbler.
💡TIP: For more information on how to apply ArtResin to a tumbler, see our blog How To Make A Resin Tumbler.
ArtResin Is Non-Toxic When Used As Directed And Is Safe For Food Contact Once Cured!
Go ahead and resin your charcuterie board, serving tray, candy dish, or cheese board with complete confidence ...
Not only is ArtResin:
but now ArtResin has been deemed to be safely used as a food-contact surface.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
Create Lacing and Cells in Resin
Creating with ArtResin isn't just about pouring and letting it cure to a flawless, glass-like finish. It can be... but it can also be so much more!
Lacing and cells are just 2 of the effects you can achieve in your resin flow art. They are beautiful techniques, especially in ocean art, and here's how to do it.
LACING
Lacing is the effect where pigmented resin separates out and creates a look that resembles lace. To achieve this look, first mix up a batch of ArtResin and separate the mixture into cups depending on how many colors you choose to use.
Next, lay the colors onto your canvas or board in the pattern you like best. Then, grab a hair dryer to make the magic happen.
Hold the hair dryer at a 45° angle and watch the dryer push the colors around which will naturally create beautiful feathering or "lacing" patterns.
If you use the hair dryer on white, especially, the effect will stand out that much more in your artwork.
CELLS
The secret to achieving those cell-like effects in your flow art is to use silicone oil.
Add a couple of drops of silicone into your tinted cup before you pour onto your canvas and watch the silicone repel the resin to create cells and other beautiful results.
That's it! However you intend to mix your colors the results are always a surprise but also very satisfying.
Below is our ResintTint 101 video that showcases many of the techniques you can use while coloring your ArtResin. Using drops of silicone in tinted resin is demonstrated near the 2:40 mark.
Enjoy!
💡TIP: Be aware that silicone oil may cause the resin to yellow prematurely.
Nick Prodromou is our Instagram Winner!
Congratulations to artist Nick Prodromou, our latest Instagram winner! At 18, Nick studied graphic design but has since refocused his attention to painting full-time in south-west London, UK. Acrylic paint is his go-to medium especially since its quick dry time allows Nick to maintain his layered workflow.
Nick likes to select pop culture characters to create stories focusing on mental health and dealing with life's obstacles. He hopes that his work can push people to think about themselves and mental well-being.
Nick starts with an idea or moment inspired by watching shows like the Simpsons. He will loosely draw that idea on his sketchbook or iPad as quickly as possible. If the idea is worth exploring, he'll continue to work on it in Procreate on the iPad and then transfer it to either paper, wood or canvas.
His favorite part is painting with acrylics which comes next. Once completed, Nick will apply a gloss varnish, or in the case of working on wood or canvas, a coat of ArtResin. He's also not afraid to share the details of his artwork as it helps people relate or connect to his work which, for Nick, is deeply important.
You can find more of Nick’s work on Instagram @by_nick and through his website: www.bynick.co.uk.
Congratulations on your win, Nick!
To celebrate all the amazing artists staying home and creating, every month we will be sending out a 32 oz kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram—and we'll share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next weekly winner!!
Sarah Robison is our Instagram Winner!
Congratulations to artist Sarah Robison, our latest Instagram winner! Sarah is a full time mom and "free time" artist. With 4 kids under 8 it's amazing that she finds the time and energy but it is her passion for art that keeps her connected to her sense of self outside motherhood.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Photography and currently lives in Klamath Falls, OR. Her latest obsession is working with alcohol ink and resin. She loves the emotional expression that comes from its textures, lines and fluidity.
Most of the time Sarah will start painting without considering the end result. She likens working with alcohol ink to a conversation and finding a balance between control and chaos. When a painting is finished, she will varnish it, mount it to a cradled wood panel, and then pour a lush layer of ArtResin on it.
While Sarah views motherhood as her most important role, her art reminds her that she also has something else to offer while on this earth. The randomness of nature inspires her and she hopes that her work creates a similar sense of intrigue and curiosity for the viewer.
You can find more of Sarah’s work on Instagram @sarahrobisonart, on Etsy at SarahRobisonFineArt and through her own website: sarahrobisonart.com.
Congratulations on your win, Sarah!
To celebrate all the amazing artists staying home and creating, every month we will be sending out a 32 oz kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram—and we'll share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next weekly winner!!
Dueling Paintbrushes - Episode 1
Welcome to Dueling Paintbrushes!
This series pits 2 artists against each other as they compete for... well... bragging rights and the top honor of sleeping on the couch at home.
We came up with this series for a few reasons:
1) We wanted to entertain you
2) We wanted to inspire you
3) We wanted to showcase the beauty of interpretation
4) We wanted to watch mommy and daddy compete! These two are highly, HIGHLY competitive people.
Dave and Rebecca are both skilled artists who—what, with co-running a business, and a home, and co-parenting—rarely get a chance to dabble with artistic pursuits these days. So we decided to have a little fun. We chose an image, separated the two of them and asked them to create their own masterpiece based off of that image. In 30 minutes.
What followed was a plethora of action, sass, creativity, stress, inspiration, you name it! It was truly a fun experiment that we hope you, at home, will take part in.
Once you watch the video, please vote or comment on our YouTube channel as to who you think won the competition. Was it Rebecca and her "Luminescent Tree" or Dave and his "Luminescent Cat." Voting will close 1 week from the initial post date.
Also, please let us know if you'd like to see more of these competitions. Once things settle down in the world around us, we hope to open our doors and invite other artists to join in on the competition where everyone's a winner :)
Enjoy!
*The voting has now closed but we still would love to hear your comments!
Iness Kaplun is our Instagram Winner!
Congratulations to artist Iness Kaplun, our latest Instagram winner! Iness is an Art Major graduate who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She teaches painting and art to children and adults while also pursuing her own artistic career.
Iness works in mixed media, creating wonderful collages made with original pieces of print, paint and ArtResin. She feels that this combination of materials leaves a bigger impact on the viewer.
When it's time to work on her next piece, Iness will first sketch it out and then work on the collage using newspapers, magazines and comics. She'll fill in the rest with paint and then blend everything together with a clear coat of ArtResin.
Iness discovered ArtResin about 3 years ago and fell in love right from the first drop. Resin completely transforms the looks of her paintings, giving it a magnificent glossy touch.
You can find more of Iness’ work on Instagram @Iness_Kaplun and on her website: www.InessKaplun.com. She also sells prints of her artwork at iCanvas.com and lisamonas.com.
Congratulations on your win, Iness!
To celebrate all the amazing artists staying home and creating, every month we will be sending out a 32 oz kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram—and we'll share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next weekly winner!!
Upgrade Your Art
Change is good!
No, not those nickels and dimes weighing you down (let's face it, bills are better, am I right?!).
We're talking about art. When choosing artwork for your home, fashions and trends often change and seldom last forever. Sometimes it's nice to take something off the wall and add a little flare or color pop to make it feel fresh.
In this blog, we'll show you 3 examples of how you can take something old and make it new again!
Project #1
Change Color Scheme
What if you decide to change up your living space by going with a new color scheme? Blues and greys instead of reds and yellows for example. Does that mean that you need to buy all new wall art? Absolutely not.
Paint over it!
First, find that specific art piece that you know you could change with a few brush strokes. The pattern is there, you know the color and the talent is in your hands.
Choose your new color palette and mix up any shade you want.
Dive right in!
Paint over the art however you see fit. It's a new piece of art now, so make it your own.
Once the paint has dried, let's add a shiny, protective coating of ArtResin to your new masterpiece!
Carefully pour equal parts of resin and hardener into a mixing container. Remember to measure by volume and not by weight.
Mix the solution for at least 3 full minutes, scraping the sides and bottom. Once complete, you will have approximately 45 minutes to work with the resin before it starts to cure.
Prop your artwork up on stands so it doesn't adhere to your tabletop.
Pour the ArtResin onto you piece.
Spread the ArtResin over the entire piece. Feel free to let the resin drip over the edges or carefully nudge the resin close to the edge. To avoid drips at the bottom of your frame, tape the bottom with painter's tape.
Carefully examine the top of the artwork for any hairs or dust particles. Remove any unwanted visitors with a toothpick.
Torch out any bubbles being careful not to get to close to the ArtResin surface.
Cover it up and wait 24 hours to reveal your finished product.
Place your new piece of art on the wall and step back to enjoy the beauty of your very own creation!
Project #2
Add Some Shine
There are things that just naturally shine such as a diamond ring or a disco ball. At the beach, think of how the water glistens as the sun kisses the ocean waves. But getting that same shimmer in art can be difficult... unless you have ArtResin!
In this project, we take a beautiful ocean scene and simply coat the water portion with a layer of ArtResin. Once hung on the wall, the natural light reflects off of the resin giving you that same ocean glimmer.
As always, carefully measure and mix ArtResin in a container being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the container so as not to leave any unmixed resin.
Pour the ArtResin over the portion of your piece that you wish to add that extra shine.
Be careful while moving the resin. You will want to bring only a thin coat of resin to the edge of your image line. ArtResin will self level so if you bring too much to the edge, a portion will likely flow over the line.
One option while moving the ArtResin is to let the mixture sit for up to 30 minutes so that the resin has cured slightly and is easier to manipulate into place, in that it will be thicker.
Remove any hairs or dusty bits, torch out the bubbles and cover for 24 hours.
Enjoy your shiny new friend!
Project #3
Sparkle & Personality
Maybe your art piece is colorful and fun but it just needs a little extra oomph to give it some personality. Adding some glitter and ArtResin is a perfect way to jazz up some art.
Select some colored glitter and place it into a cup, or multiple cups.
Pour your carefully measured and mixed ArtResin into each cup of glitter and stir it up together.
Pour and place your sparkly mixture wherever you see fit.
Using a toothpick or Q-Tip, move the resin mixture to cover your desired portion of the art piece.
Cover your artwork for 24 hours.
Try not to smile as you admire your wonderful, new and improved work of art :)
There are endless possibilities when it comes to upgrading your art. Take these ideas and add your own spin! And if you do, we'd love to hear about it!
Comment below or send us you pictures and we'll share them online.
Toni Martin is our Instagram Winner!
Congratulations to artist Toni Martin, our latest Instagram winner! Toni is a self-taught artist working full-time in Frisco, Texas. Her abstract artwork is very emotional and expressive thanks to its fluid movement and color.
Toni discovered resin 6 years ago only to watch her work blossom as the acrylics and other mediums intersected with the resin. Not only does Toni love the sheen that ArtResin provides but for her there is a purity in its ability to encase beauty in chaos.
Toni's sense of self is very present in each of her pieces. Her creative process is more like a conversation with herself where color takes the place of words. Through this process, Toni is able to visually express her emotions in order to make sense of the world around her.
Emotion through color.
You can find more of Toni’s work on Instagram @tonimartinart and on her website: www.tonimartinart.com.
Congratulations on your win, Toni!
To celebrate all the amazing artists staying home and creating, every month we will be sending out a FREE Trinket Dish Kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram—and we'll share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next weekly winner!!
Interested in finding out how EASY it is to make your own Trinket Dish?
We've got you covered with all the colorful details, here!
How To Make A Custom Resin Pen
If you've ever thought to yourself, "I bet I could make my own pen," you would be write! (See what I did there?)
Creating your own custom pen is a wonderful little craft that is both fun and functional. You can create your own designs using ArtResin, wood, color tints, glitter, all sorts of materials. In this blog, we are joining Todd Duka from Duka Heritage as he shows us how he likes to create his own unique pen blanks.
Let's get started!
In this example we will be adding wood to our casting. You can also create a pen with just ArtResin and ResinTint or Alcohol Ink. There are endless possibilities!
Here's what you'll need:
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- Wood blocks (optional)
- Pen blank mold
- Pen kit
- ResinTint (or a colorant of your choice)
- Pen turning mandrel + bushings to match your pen kit
Select your wood block and cut down to size in order to fit into your mold.
Mix up the colorants of your choice. We recommend ResintTint. Adding Metallic Pearl to the mixture brings out a beautiful pearlescent result.
Be sure to keep the resin mixture fairly opaque so as to prevent seeing through to the pen body tube.
Place the wood block into the mold and fill the mold with your colorant(s) of choice.
Place the mold into a pressure pot. Pressurize the pot to at least 50 psi.
Placing a mold with resin into a pressure pot eliminates all bubbles giving you a crystal clear result.
Remove the mold from the pressure pot and then the resin block from the mold.
Place the pen blank in a lathe or drill press. Bore your blank to the appropriate size based on your pen kit.
Place pen body tube into the blank.
Using a medium CA glue or 5 minute epoxy (i.e. some kind of quick-setting glue), apply adhesive to both the pen tube and the inside of the blank. Insert the pen tube into the blank, rotating as you go to ensure a good bond.
Using a pen mandrel and the appropriate sized bushings, secure your piece in your lathe and turn to your desired shape.
Sand your newly shaped pen body to 320 grit to prepare for finishing.
Clean the pen body thoroughly.
One popular method of pen finishing is to use CA glue. This method will leave you with a glass like finish that will last a lifetime.
Apply 3 coats of thin CA glue while the lathe runs, curing the glue with activator between coats. Repeat using medium CA glue to build up the finish to your desired depth.
Sand the pen body using 320 grit sandpaper to ensure that the CA glue finish is level.
Polish using MicroMesh sanding pads.
Wet sand the pen body working through the steps from 1500 grit all the way to 12000 grit.
Using your freshly polished pen body, assemble your pen as per the included instructions for your selected pen kit. These steps vary based on your selected pen style.
Voila! Behold your wonderful resin pen creation :)
