Resin Magic with Tilya in Goa

Instagram careers with budding artists and entrepreneurs isn’t a foreign concept anymore. The app has provided a helping hand for small businesses and artists to expand and become megasuccessful with the worldwide reach they get. in recent times, Instagram and other social media platforms such as Facebook have worked as the perfect platform for a new breed of creators – resin artists. It is considered an unconventional style of painting where you don’t use the usual acrylic or oil paints, brushes, or even an easel. What you only need is an excellent understanding of resin. Resin is what you primarily use to create unique art pieces. Resin is found in nature but can be created synthetically as well.

Novel artists have moved far beyond just simple canvas paintings. When dried, the resin is strong and durable, which makes it perfect to complement wooden furniture and other objects. With practice and precision, one can end up with a stunning and unique piece of art. This is exactly what Tilya Fernandes, a talented resin artist from Goa has been doing since 2020. She started her brand “ResonateAum” which is a place for all forms of creative outlets such as art, photos, jewelry, prints, upcycled items, and more.

At Goan Insider, we had a chat with Tilya to get into the mind of this creative genius. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

Tell us a little about yourself. How old were you when you realized you had artistic talent?

I am Tilya Fernandes, born and raised in Margao, Goa. Studying in a Convent school like Presentation, the teachers and nuns got us into the creative process since kindergarten. I always loved arts and crafts. As I would grow I would enjoy sports, music etc but the art and craft has always been the crux of my sanity. So I guess you can say that I knew I was blessed with artistic talent since two years old, as I scribbled everything, much to my parent’s dismay.

How did you get started working with resin?

I have used many mediums and continue to try most. Resin was a need of the hour for me. I was to start the collaborative process of making resin tables, but in Goa, there was nobody to source the resin from so I started with small samples from online stores to find the one I was most comfortable with. This started at the beginning of 2020.

For those who may not know, could you describe what resin is?

In chemistry, the resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. In layman’s terms, it’s a liquid form that gets mixed according to the type being used to create a viscous form that on drying will be solid, much like glass but a lot more resistant. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. Plants secrete resins for their protective benefits in response to injury. This plant resin is used for incense. India is yet to create its own Natural Resin.

How would you describe your own work in a sentence?

My work in a sentence, that’s a hard one, mmm… “A creation out of mind, made with loving hands with intention put in at every step.”

Any advice you would like to share with those just learning the art of resin?

Best advice I can give those trying out resin, is do what makes you happy. Try not to get fixated on YouTube videos and create others ideas, instead come up with your own. No one became an artist overnight, there has to be trial and error to learn some more every day.

Your designs look beautiful! Are your designs the way you envisioned them when you started, or is it something that gradually evolved?

My designs are a pure outlook of my mind, when I started there was a lot of errors, some didn’t dry right, some didn’t look right, But they were mine. Now over time and after making many many more products they come out as I envision them. Now there isn’t as much faults, which is all just because of the experience gained over time.

Is there anything in particular that inspires you?

My inspiration in life is Nature! Anything and everything I do is inspired by the surroundings and the environment. As a writer, I write about nature, and as a photographer, I capture nature now with resin. I keep encasing different forms of nature.

What is your favorite item from what you have created and why?

All things made with radium are my ultimate, all things glow in the dark is now my specialty, be it jewelry, coasters, jars, bangles, ashtrays, bowls, etc. But My favorite product created very recently is my Lamp. It’s the only piece I took more than a week to complete, little by little the curing took forever. It also has small elements that just make me feel so happy.

Is there another artistic medium that you would love to try but haven’t yet?

Like I mentioned before I love trying new mediums. This year was all about resin, 2021 I want to venture further into the world of woodworking and fibre glass.

Do you have any future goals you would like to share, relating to your art or your business?

2020 was supposed to see the beginning of a lot of new things for ResonateAum as a brand, but alas, like everything else, this year has left a lot undone. But next year you shall find this brand at festivals around India. Also, I have been trying to do tie-ups with franchises to keep physical pieces of jewelry in different sustainable outlets (we are trying to slow fashion). Paintings too! 2020 saw me complete the largest canvas commissioned piece I have done, so hopefully, next year can send out way more.

How can our readers stay connected with you as well as your brand?

I am mostly available to everyone through my Instagram or Facebook. You can find me on my personal account, where I share photographs, my written musings, and a whole lot of doggy cuteness and resonateaum, for all my Resin work.

Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work till you hit the sack? Do you have a fixed schedule?

This one is gonna be fun because I actually have a routine from hell. I wake up every day by 7 am, then wash my dogs food vessels, put their food for cooking and start walking all eight of them in turns (3 rounds as god gave only two hands). Once we are done, I clean my house by sweeping and moping. The dogs food is done, it’s served and kept for cooling. Then I resin, write, work from 10-12. At 12 pm sharp, the dogs are fed lunch and I start making food for Khaiman and myself. We chill, eat food and are done by 3 pm. Post this, I really start working by packing orders, doing more resin, painting, or writing scripts. Or on days where I’m too tired, I read my books. By seven its bath time, dogs get dinner at 8 pm sharp. We eat dinner by 10-11 pm. And midnight is lights out! In between we try and squeeze in a few shows or movies for the unwinding.

Share with us 3 random facts about you that very few people know

1. For the longest time, I have been hoping my parent planet would call me back. Haha! If it’s too weird then, for a skinny person I can eat a lot, like a lot.
2. I have and will always choose any animal over conversation with people, actually will rather talk to a plant or a tree. Banyans are my favorites.
3. I have had as many jobs as I have shifted homes both being a number much higher than the pets I have had.

Anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

We all have some talent deep down within us, we just have to look inward and find it. Daily, we look outward for answers when many are actually inside us. I request everyone to do the things that make you happy and the money always follows, be humble and light up the world, because I believe with every ounce of my being that we have the light inside us to do just that.

Do you have a story to share with the world? Send us an email at contact.goaninsider@gmail.com