Gold Leaf Event

This past Saturday I had the privilege of hosting the Cincinnati Book Arts Society (CBAS) and the Greater Cincinnati Calligrapher’s Guild in my studio for a show and tell!  I demonstrated a gold leaf technique and showcased two of the handmade books I’ve been creating.   The Book of Hours –as mentioned in an earlier post and a Baby Book (that I’ll feature in a later post).

 

Pictured below is my dining room table – where I displayed some of the vellum off cuts  I’ve been using to work out color and painting techniques for the book.

 

Book of Hours -Hour Glass Border in progress. See Portfolio > Books for finished work

Below I am laying gold leaf. (My glasses broke the day before–looks almost like a monocle.) I lay my homemade gesso on fine art paper or calfskin, let it dry and then blow on it to humidify. Then the gold is quickly laid on the gesso, touched up and burnished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are a few of the guild members that came to see my studio!   I would love to have you too…..come and visit sometime!

 

Book of Hours

This is page 30 from a project that I’ve been working on for 3 years or so. A Book of Hours….It is a book about the passing of time, seasons, seasons of life on into thoughts about eternity—on genuine vellum (calfskin with 23k gold leaf).

Initially, I sketched out the 144 pages in pencil, scanned them and my wonderful client and I discussed revisions until the pencil was where he was pleased.

Now, I am finished with the butterfly page, so on to the next…. do come visit again as I will post others.