Gilding Course Venue

Am so pleased to be offering courses at Hornsby. My studio is great for individuals, and if you'd like an individual class contact me at londongilding@gmail.com But really, Primrose Hill is too small for groups (and ceiling high in furniture right now!) I do love teaching a few people together, it's so much fun. Hornsby's is a very pretty shop and it's just the right size for an intimate group. I can't wait to work out the dates and let you all know.

Emergency Gilding

This poor table arrived in a crate from Italy with three broken legs. I got it last night and had to perform emergency gilding surgery on it today as it's one of eight ordered for an hotel that opens this week. It's been a busy day! But it looks pretty again. This is dutch gold finished in acrylic varnish with a hand mixed colour to speed the process up, and the minute it was dry it was whisked off. Restoration is usually a measured thoughtful careful process, not today! It was instant and spontaneous and I used every short cut I've ever learnt to get this done. Gilding A&E.

Gilding Courses

I have a fabulous venue for courses! I'll post details as soon as it's all arranged. I'm going to try and get a class booked in for April, but if that's not possible it will definitely be mid May.

I'll be teaching at J Hornsby on the Old Brompton Road http://www.jhornsbyinteriors.co.uk/

J Hornsby is a wonderful interior design and antique restoration company, it's a very lovely space to learn gilding in. It's a short walk to Gloucester Road tube, it's close to Christies and the museums and there are lovely cafes around for students to relax in after a hard days gilding. Details soon!

Swedish Giltwood Clock

This beauty just left me to go to the clockmakers. It came in looking very sad and dirty, now it's returned to its original finish. It's Swedish and I really like the way the Swedes mixed gold leaf with other materials. The carved griffins are painted to look like metal and they're really well done. I've had a few people in the studio who haven't believed me when I've told them it's a paint effect. It looks so real as the gilder used a metal powder in the paint. I love looking at that kind of work, it's so instructive to see how gilders achieved the look of metal in the past. The curling tails are completely new as they had been broken off at some point. A. J. Brett carved them http://www.ajbrett.co.uk/ and they did a fantastic job.

Why Gilders Can Go A Bit Mad

Silver Leaf Mantelpiece

This is a beatiful period mantelpiece that a client wanted me to silver and patinate. The original stone was so damaged it couldn't be professionally cleaned, so rather than lose it altogether, the client asked me to gild it. This is a quick onsite picture I took. I wish I had one of the finished room, it is exquisite!

Living Gold

This is gold leaf in its natural state. It floats in the slightest breeze.