Epoxy resin pieces of art by local artists Judith DesBrisay and Cheri Maisonneuve will be on display at the Quesnel Art Gallery in May.
Over the last 12 months, the artists with a 40-year age difference collaborated and created a body of work called “Resonate.”
While they independently discovered the potential of resin in artwork, they soon shared their explorations with one another. Resin is a versatile material that can be used clear or with colour and applied over existing objects or layered to create three-dimensional objects.
“One of the wonderful things that I love about Judith is making me stop and think about things and the way that she connects to historical artists — she’s like my art historian,” Maisonneuve said.
“Every time we get together, I know I exhaust her because she’s so inspiring in so, so many ways.”
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DesBrisay, 83, has been working with epoxy resin since 2015 and noted it is nowhere comparable to industrial resin in which she would have to repair her resin kayak outdoors because of the toxic fumes.
Maisonneuve said she remembers buying her first small bottles of epoxy resin in 2015, which she didn’t open until two years later as she was a bit fearful at first to try the pricey medium.
“I’m a mixed media artist, so I love texture, and resin generally is flat and glassy, so it took me a long time to wrap my brain around,” she said.
After watching online videos, which left Maisonneuve in awe, she finally opened the bottles in 2017 and, by using just a little at a time made them last for the next two and a half years.
Now she buys four-litre tubs of epoxy resin and has gone through two tubs in just a few months, joking she hopes she and DesBrisay will be able to sell some of their art to recoup the costs, which she will likely use towards more art supplies.
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The art on display uses material such as glitter to enhance effects on existing paintings or upon supports such as canvas, wood or glass.
DesBrisay used epoxy resin on glass and Plexiglas and uses people and places as inspiration for her art some of which is about global issues like climate change.
“Around town, so many of the businesses have plexiglass panels,” DesBrisay said.
“We’re keeping ourselves safe from COVID-19 with our masks and all of these Plexiglas panels, and here I am making art on Plexiglas panel and have visions of going around and painting them all.”
DesBrisay has lived, worked and traveled extensively in North and South America, with many of her works included in permanent collections at galleries in Canada and Chile.
Maisonneuve also lived abroad but on four continents in more than 45 countries before moving around B.C. and landing in Quesnel, where she and her spouse have two children.
Her art is inspired by ocean waves, calmness and self-reflection.
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