Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Betsy Enzensberger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Betsy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Well, I didn’t learn resin sculpting in school. I actually studied abstract painting as an undergrad. While the techniques I use now were learned elsewhere, I do still use color theory and composition from my studies all the time. I even paint some of my larger sculptures. So, I suppose my current skills are a culmination of a lifetime of being in the arts.

Sculpting with resin began as an experiment. I was painting on wood panels and wood sculpture when I got the urge to make it super shiny. I bought some resin and poured it over a few panels. I was thoroughly intrigued with this mystery material. What in the world is it? Why is it so toxic? How does it magically make everything look better? I like to ask questions, so I headed over to Hastings Plastics (which is no longer in existence) and asked them a million questions. I left that place with a hazmat suit and a lot of ambition. From there I began to experiment.

At some point I began creating melting canvases which quickly turned into melting ice cream. So, at this point I had this thing that I loved making, but I wanted to make them bigger. This is where the real skill comes in and I was lacking sculpting skills.
Fortunately, I was introduced to the amazing Eric Johnson who is a renowned resin sculptor from the Light and Space movement. Eric has worked with some of the greatest resin artists of all time – Peter Alexander, De Wain Valentine, Larry Bell. I had the honor of meeting these men in person too. We even restored a few Craig Kaufmann and Peter Alexander sculptures while working together. I digress…

So Eric took me under his wing and put me right to work. He showed me how to sand & polish resin first. Then we went back and worked on mold-making and casting of large objects. Over the 4 years we worked together I learned so much about art and life. I had my own vision which happens to be very different from Erics. Yet, you can see Erics influence in my work. We became good friends over the years and we still pass ideas back and forth. What Eric did for me was invaluable and I’m truly grateful for his teachings.

I now work by myself in my Palm Springs studio. I have no assistants because I am well aware of what it takes to learn to do what I do. To be honest, I don’t have the time to teach someone else my craft. So I just keep doing what I do with the intention of making sculptures that bring people joy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I create larger-than-life resin sculptures of ice cream. It’s a simple idea that I have made into a plethora of different unique designs. I have always been inspired by the universal recognition of the frozen treats that bring joy to people worldwide. The sizes, shapes, and flavors of these treats vary depending on culture, but they bring smiles to people just the same. It is my intention to spark joy and inspire nostalgia by utilizing the unifying form of the ice pop. If I can connect with someone across the world over a simple thing like an ice pop, then I feel like I have created a sense of unity and positive connection.

I created my Original Melting Pops trademark to let me collectors know that each piece is hand made by me and is a unique piece of art.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think NFTs are important to some people and can be a great way to track a piece of art through various collectors. Others prefer physical art to digital. It’s just a preference, right? I actually have a few NFTs of my own work. Since I sculpt and my art is meant to be viewed in 3D, a digital version doesn’t make much sense. However, I had this great idea to make my sculptures explode. The idea was an emotional explosion, such as; the feeling of being ‘so in love’ that you want to explode. This is a visual I just had to bring to life. A friend of mine does really great animation work so I asked him to explode a few images of my sculptures in very specific ways. If you go to Rarible.com you can read the various descriptions. They’re pretty cool. Check ’em out.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Creating a sense of unity with my art is the most rewarding part of what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.betsyenzensberger.com
• Instagram: @betsyenzensberger
• Facebook: Facebook.com/enzensberger

Image Credits
All images were taken by me. Eric Johnson (my mentor) is holding the popsicle in that one image. That picture was taken while we were making molds