Paved with Gold

I've had quite a few pieces to do recently, that were decorated with gold powder. When the colours are similar, it's so much easier to work on several back grounds at the same time, moving from one canvas to the next whilst one layer is drying.

This is my favourite gold powder that I've had this for years (a little goes a long way). I much prefer the deeper shade of rose gold to the yellow gold. I had a panicky day last week when I couldn't find it.... 3 times I searched the box where it should be... and every other place in the caravan where I possibly could have put it.

Knowing it would 'turn up' but also needing to get one particular canvas out in a hurry I hit the internet to try & order some more... in vain. I had no idea where I'd originally bought it from & couldn't for the life of me think what was written on the label. Usual art & calligraphy suppliers drew a blank & all I could find anywhere was the yellowy gold powder in various shades.

When I eventually gave up & started getting paints out, guess what was under the first thing I lifted out?  Yep, patently obvious, totally un-missable, exactly where it should be... phew! Annoyed but relieved, I started work.

Things were going great. Until I dropped my pot of gold. Clouds of gold dust spilled everywhere.... half a jar of precious dust at least... All over 2 canvasses & the yard. And me & the dog.

Sweeping just seemed to spread it around... and i thought that if I vacuumed, being so fine, it would just go straight through & blow out again. So I swilled it with water & gradually chased it into the cracks in the concrete & back into the earth.

It took ages... But was very pretty to look at! And so now we have a seam of gold right outside our back door & sparkly bits still catch the light all over the yard. Heheh... i think it's great :-)

It was only when I took the top photo that I thought of entering the exact text on the label into the search bar... which led me to The Stencil Library. Of course! At one point I had a trade account with them, I've been there, but had totally forgotten about buying my gold powder (& metal leaf) there. 

Pale Rose Gold Gilding Powder... here

Gold/aluminium/ copper leaf... here

And that half a jar or more that I spilt? I'd already used more than a quarter & there's more than half left. Like I said, a little goes a long way & I just proved it! There's barely any gone, but it looked like absolutely loads... i really was expecting to be left with just a few grains...

It is the most delicious colour...

... i often just sprinkle it onto wet paint, then as the paint dries it binds the gold into itself or onto glue. Any excess can be brushed off after it dries. I will also mix it into gouache or watercolour to add some glints of gold, or mix with water & a touch of gum ammoniac to write with.