1519 Illuminated Water Garden

Artist Code: 1519. Completed 4 September 2015. Original SOLD. Water colour, 23 3/4 carat gold leaf and shell gold on Aquarelle Arches 100% Hot Pressed cotton rag paper. Unframed size 12″ x 16″. Hand made wood frame 15″ x 18″ (gun metal finish).

This painting was sold at the Hinchingbrooke Country Park Christmas Fayre 2015. It has joined its sister painting ‘Illuminated Nature Garden‘, which is lovely!

This painting was part of a pair of illuminations (also see Illuminated Nature Garden, Artist Code 1513). This design is in the Neo-Classical style with Biblical intonations and other watery patterns. The ‘W’and ‘g’are gold leaf on a raised gesso bed, and the filigree pattern is shell gold. Shell gold is real gold powder finely ground to a pigment and bound with gum arabic. This gold block can be reconstituted with water and, using a fine sable brush, applied to artwork in delicate and intricate filigree patterns. It is called ‘Shell Gold’ because ‘in olden days’ artists stored the mixture in shallow seashells.