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.

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:

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.