Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus
QUESTION 2. What is your most memorable “gold leaf disaster” moment, and what hidden technique or mindset did it eventually teach you?
ANSWER 2. I haven’t had any major disasters with my gold leaf artwork, but it can be frustrating to work with. It doesn’t like it when you rush around it and will crumple into a little ball at the slightest breeze. I haven’t really thought about it until now, but I suppose it makes my practice quite mindful and makes me work at a gentle pace.
Theodora Gould
Artist and Silversmith
BIO: Theodora's childhood was spent between Tipperary, Pembrokeshire and Somerset.
She took her love for all the broken and faded works of art she grew up surrounded by, and went to university to study antique restoration and conservation. It was there that she discovered a love for decorative surfaces, in particular, gilding, japanning and paint effects. A three year practical apprenticeship in a commercial restoration workshop further consolidated this love and taught her many traditional skills and techniques.
Today she works from home in her Somerset garden studio. Her love for nature, history and anything old rubs off on the work she creates today. Stubbornly refusing to ‘niche down’ to one medium or style, she takes great pleasure in following her creative curiosity to make pieces which spark joy. Botanical studies, whimsical jewellery, verre eglomise, plaster casts of nature finds, experimenting with materials and applying gold leaf to most things.
LINK: TheodoraGould.co.uk
QUESTION 3. If gold leaf suddenly became unavailable, which alternative material — natural, precious, or unconventional — could preserve your intended emotional effect?
ANSWER 3. If gold leaf became unavailable, I could use an imitation leaf to get a similar effect, but it’s not as nice to work with and not as ‘special’, so it would make me sad. I have recently been looking into using heat activate foil for some artworks. Gold leaf is very expensive and the artworks are beyond some peoples budget, I’ve been trying to create something that’s beautiful but not too expensive as another option for my customers. The foil is more limiting to work with than gold though, so I’m not quite there yet, watch this space.
QUESTION 1. How do you decide whether gold represents light, value, divinity, narrative symbolism, or simply texture — and does that meaning shift from piece to piece?
ANSWER 1. I use a lot of gold in my artwork as it brings each piece to life. As you move around an illuminated piece the light catches it in different ways, making the piece glow. There is no great meaning to the use of gold, it just looks really nice and brings joy to those who see it.
All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Theodora Gould.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.
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