When I left Whidbey Island this past April to teach in New Zealand it was early Spring. When I landed in Auckland and Christchurch it was early Autumn and now that I’m back it’s Spring again! But it was timed such that the seasons were actually similar, but an intriguing experience nonetheless, one that I hope that you can enjoy with me in New Zealand next April where I’ll be conducting three classes: Gilding For Works of Art, Glass Gilding: An Introduction to Verre Églomisé, and a Special 2-Day Introduction to Traditional Water Gilding for Frames and Panels.
Gilding is such a diverse art form that offering these separate classes can be the best way to meet the needs of students who may work in different mediums, whether incorporating gilding into their own work as Fine artists or as picture framers, furniture makers, illuminators, glass artists, or those in mixed-media. So it’s an intriguing experience exploring the different options, both rooted in ancient techniques as well as Contemporary approaches.
The Works of Art class will cover the challenges of combining gilding with another medium such as painting, whether oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolors, or egg tempera and how to make it all work together.
Glass gilding is how I began my career 40 years ago working at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. I enjoy creating gilded mirrors as well as gold and silver leafed glass objects along with the other numerous methods and techniques of gilding. We’ll be exploring etching into the leaf from behind so you’ll have a good foundation for Verre Églomisé. Gilding behind the glass is also the first step for those wanting to apply their signwriting skills to gild on glass.
We’ll finish the week with two enjoyable days of Traditional Water Gilding for Frames and Panels. While the method of water gilding for picture frames is the same for gilded egg tempera painted panels as done in 14th - 18thc Florence and Siena, there are some variances in approach and a different history associated with them. The two-day class is shorter than the typical three-day class that I do so your frames and panels will be pre-gessoed and ‘clayed’ though we’ll still address the elements of gesso-making and laying a Clay Bole Ground on day two.
As a place to study, you’ll love the environment of Te Matatiki Toi Ora | The Arts Centre in Christchurch. It’s somewhat like a self-contained town square where it was the home of the University of Canterbury and where where its students still study at the Music and Art Departments (I enjoy listening to their pianos while strolling the grounds in the evening). Our studio where we’ll be gilding is known as The Maker Workshop, just steps away from the beautifully restored Observatory Hotel. The Lumière Cinema is right there across the way if, like me you like catching an Independent film and a cappuccino!
Early Registration is now Open with a Discount available through August 1, 2025. It will then remain open until sold out. Gilding For Works of Art in New York in June has sold out so early registration is encouraged. And taking that long flight to Christchurch meant that I was able to watch all the movies on the plane that I missed! From there it’s just a quick 20 minute Uber to The Arts Centre. ~