Puffin icon

It was a very Puffin Christmas here. I received a Puffin Icon from the Puffin Whisperer. She used a solid wooden block covered in a special gesso used specifically for applying gold leaf.

Puffin Icon - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I don’t need to tell you that it’s covered in real gold leaf, do I? It’s applied with a special glue just for gold leaf, an oil-based adhesive which takes three hours to dry until it’s ready to apply the 24ct gold. The gold is applied over a red clay, heavy in iron oxide. It’s painted in tempera and watercolour and then covered in matt varnish.

Here it is being created:

Puffin Icon - by Antonella Papa, the Puffin Whisperer

You can tell she spent four years on the team restoring the Sistine Chapel, can’t you? She’ll be making a series of original poses of similar icons. Do get in touch if you would like one.

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