Everything happens for a ‘Resin’

For some, art plays the role of pastime, a means of easing the burdens of reality by escaping to a world of wonder, colour and fantasy. While, for others, it takes centre stage.

Sara Palmer always saw herself as a creative and innovative individual. However, it took time and great courage to express this side of her. One heart-to-heart with God later, and she was on her way to ‘resin’ pre-eminence. “How I was introduced to resin is actually pretty unreal. Before bed one night, I asked God to give me a way I could express myself and monetise it. I woke up the next morning, went on Instagram and I was drawn to a particular post. I viewed it and instantly told myself, ‘This is it!’,” she explained to Living.

Intent on becoming an entrepreneur, the artist skipped the hobby step completely and registered her business as soon as she found the appropriate name – an act she confirmed long before she knew what was in store for her. In February 2020, Aura Sphere debuted on the art scene, just a month before the global pandemic.

“Aura Sphere came from a place of wanting to encapsulate what I want my business to exude. ‘Aura’ being the energy, and ‘Sphere’ being the direct space of an individual. The products are meant to positively impact that,” Palmer revealed. To date, some of her popular pieces include letter keychains, clocks, journals, and coasters. Not only is the work contemporary in design, but it is also unique, functional and high quality.

So what does the young talent enjoy the most about working with resin? One word: versatility. For her, it’s the special ability to use it on almost any surface and create a variety of art-inspired products, with the trusty assistance of the right equipment, of course.

But the road hasn’t been without speed bumps and potholes. Listing capital, marketing and social media as obstacles along the way, she manoeuvred her way through by reinvesting the money she earned, figuring out her niche and hiring a content creator/social media manager. But her biggest concern of them all was actually with creation and production. “Mixing and properly handling the resin wasn’t easy. It really takes patience to minimise the imperfections and get it right,” she added.

Pulling inspiration from nature and other works of art, she collaborates with her clients to get the best vision possible. “I love every piece I make, and I remember them all,” the artist highlighted, but one that stood out for her was a beach-inspired 24-inch clock, “It has been my largest clock to date, and it really tested my progress as an artist.”

With many sharing rave reviews and her products making their way into the artisan section of Fontana Waterloo Square in Kingston, Palmer hopes to expand her business to incorporate materials and products outside of resin, “I have another joint venture underway called The Box Fairy, so stay tuned.”

Aura Sphere is on Instagram, follow @auraspherejamaica for more information.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com