GOLD LEAF

These gold leaf paintings had an interesting origin in my lexicon of paintings. First of all I had been working for years to bring my florals out of a traditional format. I began using geometric shapes to break up the space. I began to study the gold leaf paintings of Asian artists as well as the use of gold leaf in medieval painting on wood panel.

I now use gold leaf as a component of the first wash. I use it to change the chiaroscuro of my paintings. Depending on the lighting on the piece, sometimes the gold leaf will be the highlight and sometimes the lowlight of the work. While this poses a challenge in composing, it results in a painting that is never static. I use copper leaf and silver leaf as well for their tarnishing properties. 22K gold leaf, of course, will not tarnish.