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Gilding refers to the process of applying real gold leaf to a surface, reverse glass gilding specifically refers to carrying out this process on glass.

The practice of painting on the back of glass dates to pre-Roman times, with a revival in the 18th Century through the French practice of verre églomisé. The process has remained largely the same ever since and has been recognised as a heritage craft here in the UK. Nowadays there is a solid (and growing) number of artists and signwriters dedicated to keeping the craft alive around the world.

There are two methods to gild on glass that produce different but equally special results: using a ‘size’ (glue) made with water and gelatine to produce a mirrored, highly reflective surface, or using an oil-based size to create a soft matte surface. Both look beautiful and there are many situations in which you would choose one over the other, or indeed use both methods together.

Gilding on glass is a unique art form in that it is the reverse side of a piece of glass that is worked on – which contrasts with almost every other surface that you might paint onto. The effect produced is a flawless piece of work when viewed from the front, i.e. the side of the glass that has not been painted on.

To achieve the desired outcome, every image and word painted onto the back of a piece of glass first must be mirrored. This is an essential step that means when viewed from the ‘correct’ side of the glass, the image or word appears the correct way round.

As an artist it takes a little time to get used to working in this manner, and you also have to be very aware that whatever material is in direct contact with the glass – be that gold, enamel paint, glitter, mother of pearl shell – is what will be visible from the front. For me this has meant I focus on tiny details first, and work up to bigger sections and finally fill in a background, which is the opposite sequence that I might follow if I was painting directly onto a canvas or paper.

I hand paint every piece of my work, i.e. there is no screenprinting involved.

Yes! I use genuine gold leaf from a supplier in Wales. I like to incorporate different carats of gold in my work as they offer different effects – for example for ‘silver’ or non-yellow areas I use 12ct white gold – and depending on what I am gilding I will use either 16ct, 18ct, 22ct, 23ct red gold, or 24ct for the most special pieces. As the gold is protected by a layer of paint behind it it will not tarnish.

I also use other natural materials such as abalone and mother or pearl shell, and I can also incorporate glitter.

This depends on a number of factors such as existing workload and how fully formed your idea is.

If you have been thinking of commissioning a piece but are unsure where to start, the best thing to do is reach out to me and let me know any and all ideas you have, no matter how big or small. Think about colours, sizes, where the piece is going to live, and if you have any reference photos of work you like (or literally anything) then that is all incredibly helpful and will help us reach a finished idea quickly. The commission process is very much a collaboration in which my job is to interpret your vision the best I can, and suggest options that I feel would work for your composition.

Once the idea has been finalised I will send a digital mock-up for your approval, and from there I will begin painting!

I take great care to ensure my works reach you in perfect condition and that involves a lot of packaging. I use a tried and tested combination of shrinkwrap, a paper alternative to bubble wrap, and starch packaging peanuts to ship my work in a manner that is secure yet lightweight. I ship all of my glass pieces Tracked24 within the UK to reduce the length of time they are in transit.

My prints and stickers are sent in biodegradable cellophane bags and paper envelopes. Utilising recycled/recyclable/biodegradable packaging materials is very important to me and I encourage my clients to recycle them further.

The largest size piece I can ship is 50x40cm framed – any larger and I will require collection from my studio in Colchester.

Yes - although at the moment shipping to the EU is not possible. Please get in touch for a quote to your country.