MEYSPRING’s Artist of the Month - September 2021
Congrats, Coral Way Designs!
We are delighted to share with you MEYSPRING’s Artist of the Month, Coral Way Designs, aka Amy McCorkle! Amy designs incredible functional art pieces combining vibrant resin seascapes with wood boards and decorates everyday objects like paddle brushes!
She always makes the most out of MEYSPRING Blue Pigments, and the fact that she even creates her boards entirely from scratch is a remarkable feat! Her bubbly personality genuinely shine through in her posts and pieces of art. We love seeing Amy grow as an artist in the MEYSPRING community!
Meet the Artist
We’ve spoken with Amy for some insightful Q&A about herself, her art, inspiration, and much more!
How long have you been working with resin?
January 21, 2021, was my very first pour! I did a couple of trinket dishes and three pre-made cutting boards. As soon as I listed them for sale, fellow military spouses jumped on them, and I sold out quickly!
I spent the week before prepping and researching everything possible (materials, heat gun, pigments, tips/tricks/techniques), and I was instantly obsessed. So for Valentine's Day, my husband asked what I wanted, and I said: "I want to go buy wood, a router, and I want to make my own boards."
That is exactly what happened. My husband gave me an entire day kid-free, and I made my boards. Of course, I spent HOURS sanding those boards to get them level and smooth, but we quickly reinvested back into the shop, so now sanding never takes more than 5-10 minutes!
Tell us more about yourself!
I am a mom of two (8 & 2) and have been married for 9 years to Mr. CoralWay! I’ve always been pretty artistic but teetered on what I would do with my career. I have an unused Degree in EMS and I did go back to pursue another degree in Interior Design, but after one semester, I realized that was not for me.
I also was a cake decorator for Publix for about 10 years, but I missed too many moments with my kiddos. So I quit soon after I started working with resin, and here I am now. Content that I have found my happy medium where I get to be my artistic self and a SAHM!
Here are just a few extra fun facts!
- I’m 32. My husband is 29
- Both born & raised Floridian’s
- My coffee order- Starbucks Nitro CB
- AD Military Spouse- been to Fort Polk, LA Fayetteville, NC & Baumholder, Germany. Currently in Winter Springs, FL for a unique assignment. Next summer we will be off again to who knows where!
- I love to work out & eat a lot of pretty food, which is why I would always make a charcuterie board at any gathering or function because I love to make food pretty
What makes/made you choose MEYSPRING pigments?
So I researched and followed several resin artists and came across Sam + Sea Artistry - who is now one of my InstaGBesties! I loved her boards and style, but I just had to have her colors and ordered them right away! Fun fact - my cedar boards were the first boards I made with MEYSPRING pigments, and still to this day, they are my BEST sellers, so I think that speaks for itself on how beautiful the pigments are!
What is your favorite pigment color and/or color scheme?
My tried and true go-to favorites are Turquoise Blue and Pacific Blue - 99% of my work is done in just those pigments! However, when the Geode Art Collection by Pour Girl Art came out, I was eyeballing the Imperial Emerald, and I’m super pumped to add that to my repertoire!
Where do you find your inspiration and/or motivation?
I’m a true Floridian, born and raised living the beach life, but it's something that has been put on hold as we travel the world for the military. So, whenever possible, I take everyday home decor or objects found around the house and bring the beach to us!
My motivation, I would say, is a mix of two things. One is rebelling against being told I couldn't do what I wanted while bringing in another income. The second is proving to my kids that life can be challenging, but you still hold the key to how it all plays out.
One day, my kids will know what happened to me as a child. And I hope they see that I made the best life I could for myself and them! I won’t go into too many details, just the main point: I was sexually molested by my biological father, for which he did go to jail after pleading guilty to child abuse. Although he served five years plus three years probation, he has been a free man for a while now, living with the family that raised me and a felony on his record.
I am constantly healing and have been through a lot of therapy. However, I have also become so much more than that little girl ever thought she would be. If I can continue to make a difference in others’ lives, then that’s all the motivation I need!
How much time do you dedicate to your resin art?
My day typically starts after dropping the kids off at school, then working out or drinking coffee and doing admin/website work. To ensure I don't run out of time, I like to get a pour in before doing anything else. Then, I will head out to the shop and spend a few hours out there if needed before picking up the kids.
It is a full-time job. I am always working on something while still multitasking the rest of my everyday life! Overall, an average week is between 40-60 hours of resin art when accounting for the woodworking, resin, packing, and admin work!
What are your goals for your artistic journey?
To take over the world, of course! Haha, no, but I would love to be more efficient and pump out more while keeping the uniqueness of most of our boards being made from scratch and 100% a one-of-a-kind custom piece!
I would love to get my name out there more, be sponsored, collaborate with other resin artists, and grow in this fantastic community!
We also recently got our CNC. Once that is all set up and running, we will produce even more unique pieces. So excited about that and what it will bring to our future endeavors!
Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share and/or your most significant "Aha moment" you've had creating resin pieces?
Be patient and try not to be so hard on yourself when something goes wrong. For example, I wanted to do a rainbow piece back when I started, but after 3 boards, I still couldn’t get the look I wanted. So I stepped away for a week to do more research and get my head right because I was having bad anxiety and getting upset that I was failing miserably.
I had a better mindset and a better plan when I came back, and I nailed it and flourished from then on! So it’s okay to step away and recollect yourself for the goal you have in mind!
I'm pretty transparent about what I do, so if there are any specific questions, just comment on my IG with a question, and I will answer!
Congratulations again to Amy on winning September’s MEYSPRING Artist of the Month!
To see more of Amy’s work, visit her Etsy Store: CoralWayDesigns
Instagram: @coral_way_designs
Would you like to be featured as October’s Artist of the Month? Tag us @meyspring or use #MeyspringPigments on Instagram to be entered. The winner will be announced on October 31, 2021, via MEYSPRING’s Instagram feed and story! All winners will receive a $100 Gift Card towards www.meyspring.com and will be featured across our social media pages on IG, Facebook, Pinterest, and more! Minimum 3 tagged/mentioned posts required to be eligible.
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