Chris Chaffin

For many years, I’ve watched my family members display their awesome artistic abilities in oil painting, drawing, design work and many other medium creations. Trying to discover mine wasn’t easy. They were there, but trying the sit and work patiently avenues did not work well for me. I wanted to be active and still be able to create something that would be admired. It took years to finally find the art that I could connect with, both with my energy levels and with a class of show-off beauty.

The awesome discovery for me is in the form of epoxy resin. It requires lots of activity and the final pieces explode in rich, amazing colors.

My technique consists of protecting everything in a ten foot radius, lining up the containers, pouring in the epoxy mixture, adding color and carefully mixing. Well, doing it carefully is an understatement because I’m pretty darn messy.

Next, I start randomly pouring it onto the canvas. Color here, color there and overlapping in places that strikes me at the moment. The real fun begins with moving the material in directions that entertain me while trying to maintain some type of control. To get the illusion of depth and texture, I have to spend many hours, sometimes all night, adding more strokes till I’m exhausted and can’t do any more. The transpired effects aren’t seen until the piece is dry. On that note, the patient part of waiting till it’s dry is like seeing the ‘Wet Paint Do Not Touch’ sign. I find it hard to resist, but I manage to maintain my curiosity to some degree.

Of course, I had to fall in love with the hardest medium to photograph. With the illusion of depth and being totally flat when touched, several angles have to be photographed to display the effects that are hidden with direct photo shot. The mirroring shine grabs the flash and any light available in the surroundings. After several months of trying to get the perfect photos, even trying a professional photographer, it’s a very challenging task.

No matter what I create, there is a magical effect about them that catches attention. Depending on the lighting effects, different hues appear randomly. Though beautiful during the day, the evening lights are my favorite. The colors seem to be richer and the art takes center stage in the room.

Because of the mirroring shine, I have seen them actually be entertaining with the moving effects created by the ceiling fan. I like working with the brighter and more tropical colors because they trigger a relaxed state of day dreaming and a warmth to my spirits.

Most of my epoxy art is created on wrapped canvas and has UV protection, so there is no worry of where you want to place it. I don’t sign the front so that it doesn’t limit the possibilities of displaying it. You can hang it one way for a look and then turn it upside down and it look totally different.

Please feel free to share your comments with me or ask any questions about my art work.