Help to road test project, please

Gold Leaf, Paint & Glass

This book is nearing completion and now, please, I need some help.

I am looking for half a doz volunteers to road test the Project Chapter: step by step instructions to make a mirror with an engraved gilded border, with templates, photos and full instructions. More info of course will be sent to interested readers on the rest of the book.

It is important this practice is done by someone who knows nothing, but who is interested and who has access to the equipment. So, if you have done my class but maybe know someone who would like to do this exercise, please get in touch. It can be done by email, so if you are in Australia that is fine.

Let me know if you can help.

progress of Book

I am struggling to get it finally ready for the final edit, grabbing time when I can. It is so close, but still needs attention. I read it through and keep refining it to make it clearer. So easy to assume things.

Describing a technique to a novice is amazingly hard: imagine.... 'pick up the gold and gild the glass...' what is gold, (thick, thin, colour, how much does it cost....) what is glass, (same questions) and what do you mean, 'gild'? And so it goes. Every detail has to be explained, and every little thing I have discovered over the years that can help to fill out the info and clarify needs to be included. And not all jumbled up but presented in some kind of order!

But, it is coming. There is a ton to do after I have done this part.... I have to market the book, get it designed and printed, establish its cost and get in advance orders (with discount). Then I need to get it reviewed and out there. Talks and demos will all help, too. And in what order do I do all this? Same old, just put your head down and do one thing at a time. I have lots of help at hand so I will sign off and get back to it.

And if you have been, thanks for reading. Since I never get comments I am sure no-one is reading this, but hey-ho, that's fine.

Happy New Year.

A couple of my men

A pic taken whilst visiting the family (son Laurie, daughter in law Nina, Alice (10) and Grisha (2) in Garmisch Partenkirchen, where they live.

Mural by Nina.

House move.

Suddenly we are moving house to move in with my parents. They need us so everything, Book, jewellery , glassy stuff and all will have to wait a few weeks till we are settled in.
I will soon be back on the blog, so meanwhile happy holidays to all!

The Book, Glass Gold Leaf and Paint

Progress is being made.

I have edited nearly all chapters and in the early New Year it will go for the final edit (final, ha.), and the self publishing machine will start to grind into action. I am now compiling a list of possible buyers, so I will have an idea of the print run. It will be small, but those who want it, really want it; its been a long time coming. And we can always reprint.

So anybody reading this who may want a copy, please let me know.

And if you have any ideas about institutions to contact such as some obscure glass museum in the Boonies I have never heard of, or some institution of some kind that would be interested, shout!

Some facts about the book:

Glass, Gold Leaf and Paint

Foreword by Bill Gudenrath (Corning Museum of Glass, USA)

A chapter on the history of the techniques by the Munich-based conservator, Simone Bretz

About colour 80 pics.

Apart from the history, there is discussion of materials and how to work with them, equipment, recipes, methods, and a Mirror Project with step by step photos of every stage.

Also there is an extensive biblio., glossary, suppliers list and museums list.

It will be about 20, 000 words, around 200 pages.

I fully expect it to come out next year. Fingers crossed.

More soon!

17^th century églomisé (engraved leaf on glass) Pair of Shepherds Courtesy, Wolfgang Steiner

Bit of a gap

The gap has been due to a virus that started on 3 October and does not want to go! I finally feel able to write something but the last 6 weeks have been pretty useless in terms of work, and energy is out of the window.

The bug started in Germany, where I was at a conference on reverse glass painting, known as Hinterglasmalerei. Held in the Residence in Wuerzbug, we were given a tour of this extraordinary, fully restored building, and in particular of the mirror room, where painted glass covers walls, doors and ceiling.

I am just back from a weekend at Glashuis, Lommel, Belgium, where, despite bug I did manage to teach 9 students. The glass museum, hot shop and study area is in a very quiet area of Belgium, an hour from Antwerp. This was a second visit there this year. I am to go again next year, when we will run a longer class using hot as well as cold techniques. We also have a plan to run a course based on techniques used only in the early 19th century. They have a big pool of students there, from the glass school in Antwerp, and word is getting around gilding and painting on glass is a good thing. And fun.

The book, Glass, Gold Leaf and Paint, which many will know has been in preparation for some time, will be completed and investigations on how to get it printed and published will then start. I am hoping it will be out next year, but self publishing is new territory for me. I tried to upload the poster I made but cannot do it for some reason.

The development of the jewellery will wait until the book is put away, but I have placed several pieces at the shop at Lommel, and made quite a few sales amongst the students. Very encouraging.

So, more rest for me then back, once again to the wheel. If you have been, thank you for reading.

Pic. experimental necklace with inserts of gilded glass. Photographer, Rob Popper

This is the screen exhibited recently at Vessel Gallery, London.

The glass is about 1m tall. All done in reverse with gold, silver and paints.

photo: Ester Segarra