An exploration into a new material blossomed not only into an extended collection for our springtime capsule, but a new avenue for artist Kristin Yezza to explore her seemingly endless creativity. The hunt for a controllable and watertight material led Yezza to resin. The result? Fossilized florals in sculptural form. Future relics, they are forever in BLOOM. Read more about Kristin's discovery below, then shop her flora-infused resin work after the story.

What was the initial draw or curiosity that led you to experiment with resin?

A huge part of ceramics is left up to chance after you load your pieces into the kiln. It can be so frustrating when you open the kiln and what's inside is broken or didn't turn out how you hoped. I was looking for a watertight material that would allow me to control the whole process from start to finish, and resin fit the requirements I was looking for. I've been eager to explore the possibilities. 

"THOSE KINDS OF SURPRISE PIECES ARE ALWAYS THE MOST FUN AND REWARDING TO MAKE"

What were some of the challenges you encountered? On the other hand, were there any exciting breakthroughs? 

My biggest challenge was figuring out how to make molds for the pieces I wanted to create. After accidentally spilling resin onto some packaging tape, I realized I had found the solution I was looking for. I ended up making almost all of the molds for these pieces from cardboard scraps and packing tape. 

How often do you dive into new materials? Is this kind of exploration something that excites you, or is it uncomfortable sitting in the unknown?

I often look to new materials when I hit a roadblock with materials I've been working with for a while and realize I need it to do something it doesn't do. I move between so many mediums that if I do get into a frustrating fight with a new material I don't really understand yet, I can bounce back to something familiar to give me a sense of productivity that I need. That re-energizes me so I can dive back into learning (and often failing) with whatever new thing I'm working on. 

Playing favorites is hard, but do you have a favorite piece from your resin collection?

'Flowers Are Forever'- this is the first piece I started and the last piece I finished. It went through many iterations and took, well, forever, to find its final shape and look. But for me, those kinds of surprise pieces are always the most fun and rewarding to make. 

How Kristin describes her final result:  "A CROSS-POLLINATION FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF MY PRACTICE RESULTING IN A NEW SPECIES TO BEHOLD"

Do you and resin have any future plans together?

Of course! I am currently beginning to experiment with resin and paper together, hoping to create some kind of glowy light sculptures. TBD on how that goes. I'm very interested in using it to make larger furniture pieces - so definitely more to come!

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