'The Lees' - Mike & Vicki
Mike was formerly a packaging designer for the pharmaceutical industry and a Design & Illustration graduate of the University of Plymouth. He has always had a passion for all things sea-related (working as a salmon netter, lobster potter and assistant boat skipper in his youth). Returning to his seaside roots was almost inevitable.
As a keen seascape watercolourist, somehow paint alone didn't quite achieve the depth and expression he was looking for. The ability to capture the movement of sea water and its waves, foam-lined current and tidal swirls, made resin the perfect medium. It was also important to maintain some context, by relating some scenes to actual places, rather than just recreating generic beach scenes and waves, often seen on chopping boards etc (although we do love these too!).
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Mike's wife Vicki, sees seascapes through a different, literal lens. Using photography, often captured in the moment using just a phone camera, Vicki loves dramatic cloud formations, punctuated by sunlight, over seas and shorelines. You can view a portfolio of Vicki's work here, also available for sale via Lee's Seas.
The Resin Art Process
Lee's Seas artworks typically use an MDF or wooden base, coated with layers of resin and coloured with acrylic, but the process starts long before then…
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As many of my works are based on actual locations, I like to travel to the coastline and use a drone to capture aerial images. This is especially useful for photographing surf-lined beaches and the area of sea below the tide line. If I can travel to a location I will, but where proximity is a hinderance, I use images and online maps. I’m also lucky to have a Wife who has a great eye for photography. You can view some of her works here.
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Once I’ve sketched a preliminary idea, I use spray paints and sometimes sand and cement to build up textured surfaces. Once thoroughly dry, I then layer up coats of resin, coloured with acrylics. If my design requires embedded features, such as fish or mammals, then I sculpture these using clay, silicone rubber molds or 3D printing.
Product Care & Installation
It is recommended that works are kept out of sustained direct sunlight, as they contain pigments, which can fade and deteriorate over time.
Please use warm soapy water or simply a duster to clean the resin works. Do not use any kind of isopropyl alcohol / IPA / ethanol based cleaner or bleach, as these can cause damage.
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Most works are supplied with saw tooth picture frame hanger brackets installed to the reverse of the artwork panels with double screws. Larger works will have several hangers to help distribute the weight.
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Lee’s Seas takes no responsibility for damage or injury sustained from the installation or post-delivery transit of artworks. Please read our Returns Policy for more information. Some artworks are heavy, so care must be taken to move the items by yourself and/or affix items to walls etc. It is recommended that suitable fixings are used depending on the wall type. These vary between solid, self-drilling or hollow wall plugs, spring toggles and other mechanisms, depending on whether you are mounting on brickwork, plasterboard or non-load-bearing internal stud walls. Please seek advice from your hardware store before installing. Lee's Seas offers no specific installation advice and takes no responsibility for any damage or injury sustained from installing artworks in your home or office etc.