Patinated White gold

A detail showing the mink coloured basecoat and the patination on the leaf

I recently had an exciting meeting with a potential new client. Having looked through the work I was taking to show them I realised it was an opportunity to finally create a piece I had in mind for a commission several years ago. I ended up with 2 pieces...the 1st shows white gold chemically patinated and showing the base colour with one only slightly aged square of palladium leaf.

The 2nd piece is based on the growth of a kind of Lichen. I want to play with this again with a more flaky texture which is proud of the surface, but it's a good start and they really liked it at the client meeting.

James Bond Inspired Bedroom!

I've been a busy little bee of late. I recently completed an interior styling commission for a client who wanted their bedroom to have an elegant James Bond chic about it. We worked with the existing features such as the   very large wooden curtain pelmet which I covered in Silk, draped white voile panels behind and created feature lighting along it's length in warm white. The walls are painted in an ultra matt warm taupe. The main feature is the wall behind the bed. The finish for this was created last year during an experimental sample session using a perlescent paint which looks and feels like a soft silky fabric. The client is ecstatic and I am really happy with the results.

Emily Swift-Jones: Sparklewren Boutique Opens

I found this photograph on the internet on the Geishaface blog by a lady who came to the opening - resplendent in her kimono and corset. Which was quite a feet considering how humid it was that day!

http://hairfreax.tumblr.com/post/25986817695/immodesty-blaze-in-birmingham-in-a-sparklewren

 I designed the panels to be removable so that they could be easily transported and used as backdrops or as a screen. Jenni Sparklewren Hampshire has used them as a backdrop for several fabulous photoshoots of her exquisite work and as a bonus I get lovely pictures of my work illuminating hers!

http://www.sparklewren.co.uk/visit-the-boutique

My signature "mon"

these are my "mon" - signature tags which I apply to my larger work. The mon is a symbol used in Japan to represent a household in the same way as the coat of arms was used in europe.  I originally had them made for a guest wc I designed for my client using posished plaster (see the pictures below). I have 3 different designs which I use individually or in combination. I have a classic japanese chrysanthemum, an alchemists symbol which represents gold  and a design in which my namesake the swift flies through stylized waves representing my home by the sea.
Here they are gilded in 22 carat gold. The next process is to pick out the background in matt black.

Details of work in progress

Whilst I am waiting with baited breath to see the pictures taken by the professional photographer I thought I'd share some pics I took to show Jenni of Sparklewren how the panels were progressing.

at this point we decided to make the charcoal a fissure so I began to fill in the top left with textured gold. this also helped to make a more natural shape as I felt the slope was looking too even and unnatural.

Sparklewren Boutique Opens

Emily Swift-Jones: Emily Swift-Jones: New commission
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151222158814418.558445.90918484417&type=1

so after a 4 hour drive in a very cramped car with three large gilded panels and a couple of 2m long gilded mirrors  I arrived in Birmingham to deliver and hang my precious cargo. It couldn't have been more humid...just what you want when you are up a ladder trying to hang large, heavy and fragile things onto mystery substrates, but they are all still hanging solidly and beautifully so it's a win.
Jenni was really excited to finally meet the pieces I'd made for her. I sent regular photos to show their progress, but didn't send final shots because I didn't want to spoil the surprise.
As is so often the case it proved really hard to get good shots of them because of the lighting and reflections so I have my fingers crossed that the lovely photographer from the Birmingham Mail has worked some magic with his enormous camera.

Emily Swift-Jones: New commission

Emily Swift-Jones: New commission
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151158660394418&set=a.10150379950364418.437810.90918484417&type=1&theater

Jennis' window is empty and awaiting displays. The ceiling and background will be painted a charcoal grey and we are painting a black border directly onto the big curved glass window. The materials are ordered.
This is the basic mock-up I created for approval from Jenni
3 large panels which can also be used as a room screen or display background and two slightly aged gold verre eglomise mirrors to reflect her gorgeous creations in the window.
It's so frustrating that the bank holiday means I won't have my basic materials until next week. i can't wait to start