Author: drnorana

“Glass and Gold” exhibition at the Arts House Singapore.

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I have always been fascinated by glass and I love its transparency, how it allows the play of light and colour– its ability to reflect and refract light that falls on it. It is almost magical and it brings out the little child in me. My dog, Whisky tends to fuss when I reflect the light on our ceiling or walls making an awful din with her barking and chasing the light around the room.

When we built our house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, my husband and I commissioned a glass artist to create a stained glass window, which became the centrepiece of our home. Funnily, the geometric design was based on a new carpet that I had bought for the house. I also had the same design on the marble floor in our entrance hall complete with brass inlay.

During my travels, I love visiting old mansions, stately homes, castles and churches to look at their stained glass windows. It lends me a certain curiosity about glass but despite the interest; I did not indulge myself in the art, as work and my family took priority then.

When we used to live in St Albans in Hertfordshire, UK , I had a neighbour who had lovely stained glass windows in her home. I walked my dog past her house everyday, twice a day for almost 8 years and never really looked. One summer day, I finally saw this beautiful house with its amazing windows. I was in awe of the stunning colours in the sunshine. I managed an invitation to view the house from the inside and it was simply breathtaking. That same day, I searched for a course in glass and enrolled myself for the summer school at the Art Academy in London under Brett Manley, who is an amazing glass artist. I learnt to do kiln formed glass and in that short time created some lovely pieces – using copper and silver wires in the glass design. There was no looking back- I was hooked on glass.

When my husband took up his post in Singapore we sold our St Albans home and I moved to a small flat in London. I had to research a cold technique using glass without the fuss of having a kiln – that was when I learnt the technique of Verre Eglomise. I love the effect of the gold on glass and I owe this to Christine McInnes who is an antique restorer and artist gilder in London. She is a wonderful teacher who is so talented and most generous with her art.

I have been dabbling in verre eglomise since then, work permitting as I was working full time until recently. I also managed a short course at the Slade Art School at University College London to go back to basics to learn about colours. I now have more time to indulge in my art, with the children grown up and more independent and I spend a considerable amount of time shuttling between Singapore and London.

I hope you will enjoy my collection of “Glass and Gold” at the The Arts House, Singapore. The exhibition will be on from 4 June 2013 until 13 June 2013. The opening times will be 10am -8pm.

This exhibition has been supported by The Arts House Visual Arts Scheme.

The Art of Medicine

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Trousseau (1869) says:

The worst man of science is he who is never an artist, and the worst artist is he who is never a man of science. In early times, medicine was an art, which took its place at the side of poetry and painting; today they try to make a science of it, placing it beside mathematics, astronomy, and physics.

Types of gold leaf

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Karats and Alloys

Gold is alloyed with Silver, Copper and other metals to achieve a variety of colors and shades. A higher gold content and/or greater amount of copper will result in deeper tones of leaf. The higher karat leaves are also more durable due to the higher gold content. In the lower karats of leaf, such as 18kt, 16kt, and 12kt, gold is alloyed with silver or other metals to achieve lighter colors.

Types of leaf

Regular Gold

This term refers to the average thickness which a manufacturer has deemed as the standard for gold leaf. This standard may vary from one manufacturer to another. One gold beater’s regular may be thinner than the regular leaf of another brand.

Surface Gold

Surface gold leaf may have a few irregularities and is often used where double gilding is required or the leaf will be distressed or toned.

Loose Gold

A book of loose gold leaf is assembled by placing each piece of gold leaf between pieces of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf at a time without disturbing the remaining leaves. It is removed from the book with a gilder’s tip, a flat natural hair brush.

Glass Gold

This term applies to gold leaf which is selected for it’s higher quality having fewer pinholes and irregularities.

Double Gold

Double gold does not mean that the leaf is two times thicker than regular leaf. Double leaf may be only 10% to 20% thicker than regular gold leaf. Double means that it is heavier than regular.

Patent Gold

Patent gold leaf, also referred to as transfer leaf, is gold leaf mounted to special tissue paper by a pressure process. A book of patent gold leaf is assembled by placing each unit of gold leaf and tissue paper between pieces of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf at a time without disturbing the remaining leaves.

Patent leaf is removed from the book without the aid of a gilder’s tip. The leaf will stay on the tissue until it is pressed onto the prepared surface and the tissue backing is removed. This form of gold leaf is necessary for outdoor work or where conditions would make loose leaf unmanageable. Patent gold leaf is not suitable for water gilding and is best suited for flat surfaces.

Patent gold leaf is sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity and needs to be stored properly. Store patent leaf in a damp environment of about 80% humidity wrapped in plastic wrap. This helps to prevent the moisture content of the tissue paper from fluctuating.

Patent leaf may become loose on the tissue paper if stored in a dry warm environment. To correct this problem, the book of patent leaf needs to be stored in a humid environment under pressure to ‘remount’ the leaf to the paper. If the leaf was stored in a very hot and humid environment, the leaf may adhere too tightly to the paper. To correct this problem, store patent the patent leaf in a refrigerator or a dry cool place.

Gilded Building details made from wood, stone, fiberglass and metal take on the dynamic qualities of gold – its luster and color. The correct selection of gold leaf, its gold content and thickness, will ensure a long lasting gilded ornament.

Gold Content

Gold leaf is manufactured in a wide range of colors and karats. Leaf made from 100% gold is 24kt. To produce a wide variety of colors, copper and silver is mixed with gold. When copper is added, the leaf becomes warmer and richer in tone. When silver is added, the leaf becomes paler in tone. The addition of these other metals lowers the karat value of gold leaf. Gold leaf is manufactured in a range from 9kt “White” to 24kt “Fine Gold”.

Gold is completely resistant to corrosion. The addition of silver and copper lowers the resistance of gold leaf to corrosion. However, the copper or silver in 23.75kt or 23kt leaf is so low that it will maintain its integrity outdoors for 30 years or more. A dome, building detail, metal fence or outdoor statue will require a 23kt to 23.75kt leaf that ranges from 96% to 98.5% in purity. Karats less than 23 are recommended for indoor use and many colors and karats are available.

Leaf Thickness and Weight

Leaf thickness is best described as grams per 1,000 leaves. This measurement is used to compare one variety with another. The approximate weight of leaf for an outdoor surface is 18 to 23 grams per 1,000 leaves. The heavier the leaf, the longer it will repel the abrasive effects of snow, rain, wind, dust and sand particles.

When selecting gold leaf for an exterior architectural project, look first for the gold content and gram weight. A 23kt to 23.75kt gold leaf weighing 18 to 23 grams/1000 leaves properly applied will shine for decades.

Information above from The Gilded Corner

 

 

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Health And Life Through Art

Posted on 11. Sep, 2012 by  in Art Therapy, Health and Nutrition

As what are unarguably the two topics that ultimately drive all human beings, thinking about health and life through art is fascinating as the arts are what us as civilized people tend to prioritize after the basics of being healthy and carrying on living.

Throughout the ages artists have dealt with issues such as disease and death through illness as well as through natural disasters and also by more sinister occurrences. Regardless of an individual’s personal views on dying and what happens afterwards, it is still the topic that preoccupies us as a race most and drives everything we do.

read more …..http://medicalarttherapy.com/health-and-life-through-art/