JJ Art Company

WHERE CREATIVITY AND CRYSTALS COLLIDE

By Talena Winters Photography submitted

jj-art-company.com

E JJ Art Company

Q @jj_art_company For the past two years, Justine Hicks, 32, has been making a name for herself creating geode resin art—dimensional wall pieces of crystal geodes, glass beads, swirling colours and a high-gloss finish that beg to be not only admired, but experienced.

Since she opened her business, she’s gained 45,000 followers on Instagram and sold pieces around the world, including countries like United Arab Emirates, Italy, Australia, India and in the UK. She is currently the Artist in Residence with Board ‘n’ Barrel in Peace River, where she has several pieces on display.

She spent the last five years in Peace River, until her husband’s career very recently took them and their four dogs to an acreage in Sherwood Park, AB. She recently left her day job to create art full time.

How did you get into making geode resin art? I was looking for artwork for my own home and couldn’t find anything that spoke to me. I stumbled upon a photographer who took photographs of geodes, and I was instantly drawn in by their beauty. That’s when I decided to recreate these natural formations with wall art.

I was instantly hooked. I started posting my creations and they kept selling. To this day, I don’t have one of my paintings hanging in my home—I haven’t had time to make one for myself. My clients come first.

What about your process is important to you? I love the whole process. I build the artwork through layers and watch it slowly come together. Then comes the special moment when I pour the final top coat and stand back to admire the piece. The creative process is my happy place—it’s immensely satisfying.

I also love collaborating with my clients. It’s very rewarding to translate their visions into a piece of artwork. Sharing the finished artwork with my client is both nerve-wracking and exciting. They have been waiting for months by that point, and I have spent countless hours bringing their vision to fruition. Every ounce of me hopes they love it and a small part of me fears they won’t. It’s an adrenaline rush.

What kinds of things do you make? Geode resin wall art – These artworks are created using resin, pigments, genuine quartz crystals, crushed glass and beads. The artwork is poured in layers to build them up and to give depth to the piece. Completing a single piece can take up to three weeks.

Serving boards – I offer a range of functional art serving and cheese boards that I create using the same materials and in the same style as my artwork.

Mini geode art – A range of “mini” geode art can be ordered directly from my website. It’s important to me to have an affordable option for those that want to own my artwork but are not looking to spend thousands of dollars. These pieces are created using the same materials and style as my larger artwork, just on a smaller scale.

You also have a food blog, The Uncorked Pantry. What role does that play in your life? I have always been passionate about cooking. It is my dream to one day write a cookbook, and the food blog is my first step to getting there.

Food is so much more than just fuel for me. It is another place in my life where I can experiment and create something I can be proud of. My husband is also a pretty big fan.

Please tell us where people can purchase your products. The best place to see all my current artwork is Instagram @JJ_Art_Company. Purchase my products or inquire about custom orders through my website at www.jj-art-company.com

Left Page: JJ Art Company owner, Justine Hicks. Right Page (top to bottom): Serving board $116, Mini geode art. Pricing starts at $320, Custom order geode resin wall art made of two 24" x 48" panels $4,600