I recently wanted to experiment with layering materials known, with new materials to me. Materials and media I am very familiar with in this painting include acrylic paint, gold leaf, glitter, and ink. The new medium I incorporated to increase the depth of layers was Epoxy Resin. Specifically I used a product used to coat bar tops. One coat of this epoxy resin is the equivalent to 70 coats of polyurethane. I painted the background, then mixed the resin, poured on the resin. While the resin was fresh and wet, I sprinkled gold glitter and gold leaf into the glaze. I then had to spread the resin around the canvas to cover the whole surface. It took almost 3 days to dry because it was outside and coincidentally, it rained the majority of those days. You may wonder why I would keep it outside, especially if it was raining. Well, the epoxy resin produces toxic fumes during the curing process. It doesn't produce a smell, just toxins, so there is no way of measuring the potential poison. The art I produce will never be prioritized over my family's longterm health. And in the end, it turned out just as it was expected to. After it dried, I painted a whole new painting on top creating the geometric circular windows to the back layer. I love the layering benefit of the epoxy, so I know I will use it a lot in the summer, when drying time will reduce significantly.
