Traditional Artist Learns New Technique

Even a practice as ancient as painting and gilding icons can be expanded by learning new artistic techniques.  Our Gallery Underground Iconographer, Laura Clerici recently attended a local workshop to learn about gold leafing -- gilding -- and using a specialized glue called "assist" to apply gold highlights on the robes of the figures in icons. 

 Laura told me "The workshop was led by a well-known British iconographer Peter Murphy, who is a fantastic teacher.  In addition to working with the gold, he also taught two different techniques for painting the hands and faces of the figures in the icons.  These techniques are different from the ones I normally use in my icons, and they are so much simpler!  It was very exciting.   My icon is medium-sized, 12 in tall and eight across.  I ended up using about $100 worth of gold -- about 30 leaves.  The effect "in person" is stunning, since the gold shimmers and gives the figures life."  

We can only imagine!