"Happy Companions" (sold)

(sold)

"Coffee and creative thinking are happy companions." On a Monday morning this is particularly appropriate. Grab a cup of "java" and head on into your day!

Metallic leaf can certainly add some contrast and a bit of "bling" to a piece of art. There are many ways to adhere the leaf to the surface. The method I've been using is Liquitex Pouring Medium brushed over the surface. Not waiting to allow this to dry, I immediately press the leaf into the "tacky" surface. It is helpful to use the leaf that is attached to a piece of glassine paper. It now comes that way in the imitation leaf bought in craft stores. It's much easier and you don't need to fuss with leaf flying over the studio.  If buying real leaf, order patent gold or patent silver.  The word patent indicates that it is attached to glassine and not the loose leaf.

Another aspect of metal leaf that is often overlooked is the fact that it also has a color temperature. Silver is cool and gold is warm. Copper would also be in the warm category. In this piece, I chose to use silver to contrast with the warm orange and push the cool temperature in the piece to the dominant side. Blue is also cool, so by adding the silver, cool color then occupies most of the design space.

Another exciting thing to do with metal leaf is to lay it over textured areas or score it with a sharp instrument. In this piece, I scored it with an etching tool and then burnished it with steel wool. Just something to think about.