LILLIAS GUYON

Gilding Conservator
Belstone, near Okehampton

Rabbit glue, acanthus stones, coloured clays, gesso and 23.5 carat beaten gold leaf - Lillias  gilds using time-worn traditional materials, and even makes her own gold dust by grinding down leftover gold. She's worked on everything from 16th century saints'  statues to six foot-high candle sticks, furniture, organ lofts and ceilings. 

Lillias conserves an object by paring it back to the original finish, then taking a cast to replace lost ornament, applying gesso and then blending new gold with the original.

She says: "I love breathing new life into gilded objects. There's nothing like revealing original surfaces, and then conserving them so that the eye reads the whole piece without seeing damaged areas."

HOW TO BOOK:

Email:   lillias@guyon.f9.co.uk
Phone: 07747 805787
Website: guyongilding.co.uk

INTRODUCTION TO GILDING

Lillias will show you the basics of gilding, showing you how layers are built up. You'll discover the difference between oil and water gilding. Bring along a gilded frame of your own to learn about its condition and how it has been  made, or bring a small non-porous object such as an egg cup, and you could take it home covered in gold.

Price: £40 per hour, sessions are one or two hours. Maximum two people. Prior booking essential.