How I Got To This

Strawberry Jam resin completed
with layering technique.
Color is amazing. Color can be used straight from the tube or color can be mixed together to get a desired result. Sometimes, the color can be mixed and layered right onto the model to get a certain look.

In the case of this "Strawberry Jam" resin, the client wanted a chestnut with some minimal white markings. How I got to this chestnut was with a "layering" technique which requires a pretty drastic start. The very first layers required, what I like to call, a firestorm orange layer.


Primed pieces waiting for their first layers.

Almost all the pieces start off primed white and then they make a drastic shift to a brash color. For a chestnut color that first layer would be a strange and vibrant orange. What makes this color pop so drastically is the use of a cadmium yellow.

I've found no better "pop" than cadmiums and the tube of yellow and red are my constant "go to" that I use in many pieces with this layering technique. This cadmium vibrancy will continue to show though every layer. If you look closely you can still see the orange showing. It's no longer brash in the final product, but rather, a soft glow from beneath.

In upcoming blog posts I plan on discussing this layering technique and color a little further as I've chosen a "Utopia" resin from my personal collection to paint for the NaMoPaiMo - National Model Painting Month that is held every February in the Equine Miniatures Industry. I'm very much looking forward to participating again this year.

Brash color compliments
of cadmium yellow medium.


Glow from beneath seen in face.

All around cadmium glow complimenting
the chestnut color.

Good Morning. Some Finishes

Sharing a few finishes that were completed recently. If you have been searching, to no avail, for a finish work artist please note that my books are open. Just email! jenndanza@gmail.com
Oh, and I prep! No need to send your piece to several artists. Just one stop and you're done. Thanks!

Hello 2018

Inspiration from my woods.
We’ve all asked the question, “what is happiness?” Is it a feeling? Having stable circumstances in life? Or is it something that’s deeply personal and can’t be defined?

Well, according to Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, it’s simply a way of being.

As the first morning of 2018 is in full swing here, I'm excited at the possibilities of this new year. Each year holds a balance of good and bad. Each year brings new people into our lives. Each day offers new lessons.

The past year, although not the greatest, held one undeniable fact. It prepared me for this year. Without the lessons of last, I could not move to the lessons presented in the next 365 days. So, with coffee in hand, I'm off to the studios to be in the presence of "lesson one" of the year 2018. I'm happy to report that so far the boiler is holding in this cold with a small, but dwindling water supply.

Here's to a great new year!
Happy New Year!