Hi, I'm Jessica! I’m a part-time artist hoping to transition into making art full time one day. I graduated with my BFA in photography in 2014. After graduation, I branched out and tried experimenting with different mediums to express myself. Epoxy brought a whole new process into my work. As a photographer, most things are visual and then manipulated later on in the editing process. However, with epoxy you can create that manipulation with your own hands. Being able to produce movement and texture is really what sparked my interest in the first place, the combinations are unlimited! My favorite part of the process is locking myself in my studio and just letting the creativity flow. It’s always an amazing feeling when you envision something in your mind and are able to get the outcome you pictured.

You’re going to need a mold that’s at least 1 inch deep. I have several custom molds from Danner Builds that I use specifically for these tables. You can also find them from other sellers, or you can create your own using a piece of plastic (I suggest a shower curtain) and some silicon to outline a shape. I prefer to use a mold, so I know the table will be completely level. I have tried using silicon but find it extremely difficult to get it perfect. If you’re using the silicon method, you will need to measure and make sure your overall pour is at least an inch thick. The reason why you need it to be over an inch, is because you will be adding screws to the surface. I will explain more in depth when we get to that step.

For this specific table, I used a roll of holographic paper (found at Michaels) and some iridescent sheets. I use these materials to mimic the reflection of light, the same way that opal does. Let this layer cure before moving on to the next step.

After the first layer is cured, it’s time for those details! For this Fire Opal table, I’m using a combination of ink, pigment, and paint to create texture. First, I lay down the orange and yellow ink to further the overall color of the table. This also allows the holographic paper to change in color but to still be seen. You want to be sure you are using holographic paper that is close to the color you want. For example, if I were to use a blue roll of iridescent paper instead of yellow, the color would become a cooler shade no matter what color ink I lay on top of it.

I then go in with some paint (that is mixed into MAS Epoxies’ Table Top Pro epoxy resin) and pour it along the sides, to give the illusion that you’re looking into a stone. This also helps create some really cool textures within the piece. I personally always like to add at least one mica pigment for that luxurious shine. In this case, I chose blue since Fire Opal does have small pops of blue. When you use all three materials together it brings dimension into the piece since they all work with resin differently.

Make sure the ink is blending well with the paint and pigment. You’re going to use your heat gun a lot during this process. You want to heat the resin so it blends all of the colors together. If you don’t, it will just sit the way you poured it. If you want to create movement you will have to move the resin, simple as that!

The flood coat is the most important part. Sometimes, when you’re working with pigment or paint, it will give a dull finish when it’s dry. So, you’ll probably want to go in with another layer of clear MAS Epoxies Table Top Pro epoxy resin to make sure you’re bringing that shine back to life.

While you can use latex or tape on the bottom to mask off the back from resin drips, I prefer to just sand the drips off. Even when you use latex or tape, you will still have some sharper edges that will need to be sanded for a perfect finish.

I line up the legs on the back to see where I want them to sit. For stabilities sake, you don’t want to put them too close to the middle; I usually try to push the legs out as far as I can. Once you find a good place for them, you will have to mark where the screws go with a marker. You will later go in and predrill these holes with your drill bit.