Thank you to Disney Studios for sending me this rad Mark Henn Ariel drawing that inspired my The Little Mermaid Glitter and Resin Frame!
Every trip to LA is full of once in a lifetime experiences. One of those pinch me moments during the Ralph Breaks The Internet Event was getting a drawing lesson from Mark Henn. He’s the animator behind characters like Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, Mulan, Pocahontas and Ariel. (This is actually the second time I’ve had the chance to talk with Mark. We met back in 2015 during the D23 Expo. It was the first time I was able to watch him draw in person, though!) In celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Little Mermaid, Mark sketched out an Ariel for us. My copy is basically the best souvenir ever. It’s also created the need for an Mark Henn Ariel drawing worthy frame!
The Little Mermaid Glitter and Resin Frame
I should start by saying I had absolutely no idea what I was doing here. I just knew that I really liked the look of glitter encased in resin. So I picked up a frame, grabbed my glitter and went to town.
I started by spraying my frame with a healthy coating of spray adhesive. Then I shook on my extra large green and purple glitter. Then I gave it another coat of spray adhesive and sprinkled on MORE glitter. I finished that up with a coat of gloss sealer.
If you’ve ever done a project with glitter you know that it’s a mess. It gets errrrrrywhere. Even with the spray adhesive and the spray sealer I was shedding glitter like no one’s business. I knew that resin would lock that glitter down, though. I just didn’t know quite how to do it. So I laid down a drop cloth, then covered that with cardboard, then I used some tiny paint pots to elevate my frame, then I crossed my fingers. I mixed up a little batch of resin and poured a small stream of it around the frame. I let gravity take its course, although I did scrape around the edges from time to time with a popsicle stick.
The next day I did the exact same process one more time with another batch of resin. After an additional day of curing, my mermaid frame was ready! I started this project thinking I wanted a smooth coating of resin. Well…that ain’t happening with a curved frame. In the end I’m actually really happy with the appearance. I think it looks like mermaid scales!
The best part is that the glitter isn’t going anywhere. Now I just need to get all of the glitter out of my house that was scattered in the making of this project….
The Little Mermaid is joining the Walt Disney Signature Collection in celebration of it’s 30th anniversary. The new edition is available today on Movies Anywhere. You can purchase the DVD and Blu-ray on February 26, 2019.
Want to save this The Little Mermaid Glitter and Resin frame for later? Click on the photo below to add to Pinterest.
