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Verre Eglomise

Posted Images from various artists

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DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Verre Eglomise

Post by DAVE SMITH »

I get some unusual requests for reverse glass from time to time the National Trust recently asked me to copy a 17th century piece of glass verre eglomise which came out of Privat Manor house .
This was the first time for me to have a go at this type of work and I must say it's very satisfying technique.
Tony Seagale showed me some of his work last year and he gave me some good directions. Here are just a few photos of this panel.
Once all the gold is removed I will give it a coat of dragins blood red and then oil gild in silver leaf to match the original.
Dave
Image
the original made in 1700
Image
made today
Tony Segale
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:20 am

Post by Tony Segale »

only need three things for rendering the verre eglomise techniques...
passion
patience
persistence

if you're gonna persist, you have to persist harder.

nice persistence, Smitty.
and he took that golden hair and made a sweater for baby bear.
http://www.tonysegale.com
http://www.tonysegale.wordpress.com
Kelly Thorson
Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:53 pm
Location: Penzance, SK Canada
Contact:

Post by Kelly Thorson »

You know what I like most about that Dave, it's that you let loose and imitated it in all it's "roughness". Was that hard to do? I know your work is much more refined.
Or did you painstakingly place each line in exactly the place it should be?
I believe there is no shame in failure. Rather, the shame lies in the loss of all the things that might have been, but for the fear of failure.
Tony Segale
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:20 am

Post by Tony Segale »

a little follow up here, Englishman...

I belong to small art salon here, five artists who gather together every couple weeks,
call ourselves the 'Red Moon Art Whores' since our inaugural meeting happened on a lunar eclsipse.
One of the artists brought me a clip from the Wall Street Journal. see link attached..


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121580707807346749.html
and he took that golden hair and made a sweater for baby bear.
http://www.tonysegale.com
http://www.tonysegale.wordpress.com
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Post by DAVE SMITH »

Kelly. You know I did find it hard not to make the lines perfect with single strokes of the needle that I used. I was asked to copy the irregular lines and to keep to the same style.
Very hard as you tend to want to do your own thing .I did look closely at the original for direction of light and shapes but basically just copied the main lines and the rest just flowed into place.
Wow!That panel on the ship is just amazing Tony ,can you imagine how long that would take any of us to make. I would love to have a go at something like that if the commision was there. The French are very clever artisans. I have seen alot of this work in Paris some very remarkable pieces.
Beautiful work but I still prefer the acid etched techniques(brewery scenes) which looks simalar to these techniques, I guess it's the slight embossing to the buildings and people that catches my eye.
Thanks for sharing .
Dave
Kelly Thorson
Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:53 pm
Location: Penzance, SK Canada
Contact:

Post by Kelly Thorson »

Well I know only too well how difficult it is to capture the imperfections of someone elses work. It's easy enough to execute your own style or else careful mechanical like symmetry. What is hard is to create loosely in a foreign style, you either start to fall into your familiar movements or else tighten up so that the lines are rigid and lack fluidity. You did remarkably well at retaining the character of the piece. :)
I believe there is no shame in failure. Rather, the shame lies in the loss of all the things that might have been, but for the fear of failure.
Wayne Osborne
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:03 am
Location: West Sussex.England

Post by Wayne Osborne »

Very interesting Dave- those 18th century chaps would be proud mate!
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Post by DAVE SMITH »

I Finished this peice a few days back .My first go at this type of work, if you haven't tried this technique have a go its very creative for gold work and so easy to do.
Dave
Image
Image
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Post by Jerry Berg »

Looks like fun Dave, especialy when you get paid to do it. Could you please explain the "dragin's blood", what type of paint is it and how was it applied. I see why it's called dragon's blood and I really like the way it looks.

thanks, Jerry
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Post by DAVE SMITH »

Jerry.
I used to buy this paint from Rick at Esoteric he named it dragon's Blood. I now buy from Nazdar, they have a nice colour range.
Its good for screening a basecoat down then a coat of thin shellac and then backing up with black and different colour reds which keeps the colour very Deep burgundy as aposed to going brown like when you mix red and black together.
And as you see you can back up with gold/silver etc. Abalone also looks great behind a transparent coat of this paint.
I brushed a thin layer on this piece and then backed up with 12crt gold.
Hope this helps mate
Dave
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Post by Jerry Berg »

Thanks Dave,
Lots of info in your reply. Much appreciated.
Jerry
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