Gold and highlights

As you can see the gold is done and it is shellacked (sp?) and I am on to the highlights. I also have started to paint the border. I decided to take momentum and press on rather than blogging which I am sure my artist friends would approve of.

C. (should I get in the habit of not writing out names?) said the gold came out OK, so I moved on. I have to say that it looks better in the picture than in real life, but I press on. I used what they call gold assist to adhere the gold. It is an oil-based solution that becomes tacky as it dries. However, when it is completely dry it is no longer tacky and therefore will not hold the gold leaf. When it is not dry enough when you press the gold leaf onto it, it spreads out in a blob and the gold with it.

I learned a couple of valuable things. One is that you cannot rush this part of the process and you cannot do it "in the cracks". Therefore, I need to have periodic larger chunks of time for stages like this. I worked out with A. a rhythm that I think will stand me in good stead for the next couple of years as long as we have little kids and he has this job. Each week that he is not traveling he gives me 2-3 mornings if I need them where he gets the kids ready and takes them to their respective schools. That gives me from morning prayer (6:30am) until I have to pick up N. to focus. It actually works out great. It's nice to have a supportive h.

I have found I cannot get the kids up, make lunches, deal with N.'s complaining, get them to school and then sit down and CREATE. How do people do it? It takes me like an hour just to calm down. And, then for things like the gold, I only have time for a few strokes to set up and you see how many strokes there are. Maybe, I am not really an artist.

Anyway, I am on to the highlights. You can't really tell, but I have two stages of highlighting completed. The red ochre/yellow ochre base and then the Vermillion/yellow ochre second highlight. Next will come more and more yellow ochre added to the vermillion/yellow ochre mix with the final highlights being yellow ochre with a little white. What gives the icon volume is basically a base color with greater and greater highlights rather then blending and modeling of classical western painting.

I am adding an Ochre Havana border that is a little dark, I think, but we'll see. Thanks for reading.