Recap of Gilding Class with Annie Lemarie

We had a great time with Annie, several decorative artisans from GMDA as well as CADA came to learn the secrets of Architectural Gilding on Thursday and Glass Gilding on Friday. We even had a student come down all the way from New Jersey! Here are some photos...enjoy!

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Annie talking about the gilder's knife.

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Melanie Kershner and Leslie Nesbitt practicing cutting and laying 23k leaf with Karen Jones looking on.

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Annie placing the first leaf on glass.

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My panel gilded, waiting for size to dry.

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All dry, look at that shine!

mine and Deb's

My piece on the left, Deb Watson's on the right.

my glass piece

A closer look...

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Thank you, Annie!!

Gilding Class with Annie Lemarie!

In conjunction with our local chapter of the International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL), the Greater Maryland Decorative Artisans (GMDA) will be hosting a gilding class with Annie Lemarie of Main Street Arts!Link to GMDA's blog: http://greatermarylanddecorativeartisans.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/two-gilding-classes-by-annie-lemaire/

Description:

Basic Gilding                Thursday, March 6th,  9am to 1pm (4 hours)

$155 for GMDA members, $165 for non-members

Learn the basics of gilding!  Using 23K gold leaf, we will learn to handle, cut, pick up and apply genuine leaf.  We will also explore types of applications using 23K, composition leaf, copper leaf and aluminum leaf.  Learn how to seal, tint and tone leaf.  Class samples will include gold on carved molding, leafing through a stencil, and production applications such as rolling gold and working with roll leaf (two different things!). We will work on a “sales” board, laying different kinds of leaf for using to upsell your gilding projects.

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Architectural Gilding

Glass Gilding           Friday, March 7, 9am-4pm (7 hours)

$250 for GMDA members, $260 non-members

Verre Eglomise is a technique of gilding and painting the reverse side of glass.  In this class, you will learn the basics of applying real 23K gold leaf to glass and creating designs with the leaf. We will discuss traditional techniques for backing and creating backgrounds and layered images.  In this class, however, we will be using more modern techniques to create stunning backgrounds for your patterns.  Students will create their own work of art, and there will be opportunity to play with additional pieces as you wish.  Previous gilding experience is helpful, but not necessary.  Please bring a favorite stencil or pattern, with a fairly simple design (please, nothing too intricate), suitable for use on an 8 x 10 piece and a mop brush (no larger than a #10). There will be other designs available.  If you already have gilding tools, please bring them, otherwise you may use studio tools.

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Verre Eglomise

Annie Lemarie has been in the decorative finishing industry since 1980. She works, primarily to the trade, with a wide variety of media and techniques.  The business has evolved to include conservation and restoration of architectural painted finishes, frames and works of art.  She also consults with contractors and homeowners regarding historic paint and decoration. Clients include trade customers, private homeowners, the National Park Service, the Smithsonian, the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland. She has been an instructor for the Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program and IDAL. She is a past president of Habitat for Humanity of Washington County (MD), former member of the International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL) board, and is currently a Trustee with the Society of Gilders. Her studio is in her historic home in Sharpsburg, Maryland.

The classes will be held at Dee Cunningham’s Studio, 8602A Frederick Road, Ellicott City, MD

Please Pay before February 28th!

Mail a check (made out to GMDA) to Cathy Rinn (10607 Montrose Ave, #3, Bethesda MD. 20814) or contact Cathy ( cathrinn@msn.com ) and she will send you an email with a  Pay Pal invoice to pay with your credit card ( you do not need a pay pal account to do this).

One Step Closer

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A few years ago I traveled to Atlanta to be a spectator at the annual "Salon." Salon is "a gathering of dedicated decorative painters from around the world coming together to exhibit their work and discuss old and new techniques, products, and information in the field."   Every year it is hosted by a different member in that person's country. Since Atlanta, it has been hosted in Hamburg, Germany and last year it was in Tokyo. This year's Salon will be in Seattle.  I was curious about the group so when I heard that it was going to be relatively close to me I decided to check it out.

When I visited Salon in Atlanta I was amazed at the breadth of talent that was on display. Members traveled from across the globe to in order to come together in the name of decorative art. Members have expertise in the traditional decorative arts such as faux marbre (marbleizing) faux bois (woodgraining), gilding, trompe l'oeil, and ornamentation.

group panel salon 2011

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Unlike other groups, to become a member, you have to be juried in. I decided that I would apply for membership but was sure that I wouldn't be accepted because this group is the best of the best! Well, I submitted my portfolio to this year's host and was accepted to participate! I was floored! Participation in this event has been on my list of professional goals for a few years now. The next step is to plan and paint a panel that will be exhibited along side my mentors and peers.  Talk about setting the bar high!

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French Lessons - Part 3

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The final installment!So I will try to sum up the last bit of our trip to France in this post.  We left off with our visit to the Chateau of Versailles.  The next day we began painting the marbles at the bottom of the panel.  The marbles in the panel are direct references to what they used in the palace. Green Campan and Sarrancolin.  My favorite is the Sarrancolin.  Something about the bold rusty red and grey/white strikes me.  Pierre talked about how marbles are quarried and used in decoration, how they are cut; pass cut vs. cross cut, etc.  It was the hardest part of the panel for me to execute.  To make it look "natural" you have to be conscious to not create 45' angles with the veins, and to make everything random.  Since it was such a new marble to me and we didn't have reference photos to work from I had to rely on the demonstration by Pierre and sorta "wing it." Pierre was very helpful to everyone, walking around and assisting those of us struggling.What really surprised me was how much faux there was in the palace.  And same with the Louvre. I didn't realize that before the Louvre was a museum it was the original palace of the king before they moved out to Versailles.  (Perhaps I shouldn't have fallen asleep in Art in the Dark in college?) Because of the number of rulers that lived there, there are many examples of faux marble and woodgraining because each successive occupant would paint over what was there instead of ripping out and replacing elements.  Thus they would paint over one type of marble with another to suit the tastes of that particular period. This is Pierre discussing with Mike how the marble here was painted over with a new type. The Louvre also seems to go on forever.  When we arrived, we entered in the lower level and we could see what was the original foundation of the fortress built in the 12th century. Every monarch since then would put his own stamp on the building by adding on and redecorating.

The morning of the Louvre tour, Pierre met us at the Notre Dame and took us on a foot tour of the areas within the 1st arrondissement.  Everywhere we looked there were beautiful things.  We walked into a church (I can't even remember which one) to see beautiful marbles, paintings, gilding, and more.  We also took a walk around the galerie de montpensier and fogged the windows at the cafe Le Grand Vefour where there were incredible paintings of grottescas and decorative elements.

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A little Bawlmer in Paris!

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Faux Bois on the streets

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Store that has beautiful decorative painting. Randomly came across it on our walk.

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Metro entrance

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Walking through the galleries of the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal

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A beautiful scene in a church...

We made it to the Louvre around lunchtime and spent the afternoon going through various areas of the museum; the Apartments of Napoleon III, the Grand Gallery, and other areas I can now not remember their names!

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Dee meets Mona

Meet getting to meet "Mona".

Here are a few images of our little B&B "Villa Versailles" which I highly recommend.  Vanessa, the owner, is extremely accommodating and brought us homemade treats.  She speaks English (whew!) and she has a dachshund named Elvis who only speaks French.

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View out our front door to the courtyard.Our KitchenetteThis is looking out of the school across the parking lot to our place. Its the small building with the vines all over it.

One evening a friend of Pierre came to demonstrate water gilding.  I got to try my hand at it, it is so very delicate.  You can read more on Pierre's blog.

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Our final dinner was at a restaurant in Versailles.  The food was incredible and dogs are allowed! Apparently the French are huge dog lovers and the idea of not being able to bring your dog into a restaurant is unfathomable. We were all presented certificates of completion signed by both Jean and Pierre.  Everyone came up one at a time for a photo op.  I took the opportunity to get a kiss on the cheek like a Tour De France stage winner does from the podium girls :).

It was a trip of a lifetime and we were sad to go but happy to get back to our boys and our king size bed :).

Come Learn with Local Experts!

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We are beginning a presentation series with local experts at our studio. Come learn about decorating outdoor spaces with Designer April Force Pardoe of AFP Interiors. May 21 at 1 pm. Please RSVP by May 16th. Bring a friend! Hope to see you there!