Back

The recipient of this AoA had some small requests, and I was more than happy to get her input! The Lady wanted to be sure that I included: a plethora of gold leaf, a lady with long, sandy brown hair spinning with a distaff, several sheep in the background and 2 black dogs (labradors). She also requested a breast cancer ribbon, and I was more than happy to oblige. Lady Anne Mary is so sweet in person, and seems such a kind lady - I wanted to do everything I could to make this scroll very nice for her.

Awards:

* Best Heraldric Achievement (Use of Heraldry), Twelfth Night 2010

I wanted to do this scroll very medievally, and to that end, used some pretty particular materials:

Paper: Pergamentata vellum (vellum made in traditional means, but from vegetable, rather than animal, materials).

Paint pigments: Crushed pigments, including: Venetian Red, Italian Yellow Earth, Verona Green Earth, French Raw Umber, German Vine Black, Titanium White and Lapis Lazuli. (Pigments imported; ground and mixed into paint by hand.)

Paint Size: Binder made of gum arabic, honey and distilled water to create watercolor (gouache) from pigments.

Gilding: Aurum Gold Leaf (23.5 kt); Shell gold touchup (23.75 kt)

Gilding Size: Rabbit skin glue (hide chunks imported from Italy; crushed and boiled by hand) for distemper paint; mixed with alum (aluminum sulfate) in gilding size.

Gilding Tools: Gilding cushion, gilding knife and tweezers, paper straws, gilding brush, agate burnisher, and silk.

Calligraphic Ink: Oak gall ink made with period recipes and materials including oak galls, iron salts, logwood dyes and acacia gum (Gum Arabic).

Brushes: Sable-hair ranging from 001 to 2.0

Pen: Handcrafted oak-handle, metal nib.