 |
 oing
for the glow, Frances Binnington of San Francisco created highly detailed
one-of-a-kind mirrors using techniques that date back to the Romans.
Hers is the ultimate elaborate play on the possibilities of mirror.
Binnington’s
glamorous mirrors are all hand decorated using a method known a verre églomisé (gold-
and silver-leafed glass). This newly popular and time-intensive style
uses opaque paints and transparent gilding effects to create layers
of color and shimmering gold and silver behind glass. It can used
to embellish framed mirrors and for decorative table tops, frames,
trays, dressing-table tops and wall panels.
Binnington
has worked in verre églomisé for
clients such as the Sultan of Brunei in London and for the Getty
family and many leading decorators in San Francisco. Her intricate
work can be crafted only by hand, so each commission is highly individual;
For
one client, the artisan crafted highly detailed Chinese-style gilded
panels with traditional motifs and symbols. The large panels were
framed and applied to the walls of a dining room. The dazzling effect
in candlelight is of glimmering, hand-painted antique wallpapers
with gold and silver highlights.
|
"Verre églomisé looks
mysterious because it uses a kind of sleight of hand,"
explains Binnington, who studied art and gilding techniques in London.
She teaches the technique at the University of California, Berkeley, Extension.
See "To Learn More" for details.
Working
on the back of clear glass that will become a decorated mirror or
a table top, Binnington carefully applies tissue-thin, almost transparent
squares of pure gold and pure silver leaf.
With
the reflective leaf in place, engraves patterns and images, such
as acanthus leaves, lions, flowers, figures and Greek motifs, on
the precious metals. She next paints layers of opaque and transparent
colors over the leaf to add more dimension and to bring out details
of the engraved figures.
With
each manipulation of color and gilding, she creates the appearance
of dimension and depth behind a flat glass surface.
"All
of the painting and drawing is done in reverse because it will be
viewed from the front through the glass when it is completed," Binnington
says.
|
GILT TRIP: Mirror frames may be mirrors
themselves, such as this Dutch etched bubble gilt-and-wood mirror with
wave carving from Derapage.
Among the metallic and mirrored effects Binnington
is working on is a dramatic Chinoiserie framed mirror with antiqued gold-and
silver-leaf mirror glass in the center, all framed with scenes of lakes,
herons and pagodas.
Binnington
exploits the medium to the fullest extent and creates a true sense
of distance and shading in the panorama. Her Chinese landscapes,
with all the meticulous detailing of an antique lacquered screen,
are dramatically outlined in tortoiseshell, sepia and amber tones
to give a centuries-old effect.
"Verre églomisé can
be manipulated into almost any style, from Roman or Pompeian to Art
Deco or crisply modern," Binnington says. "I’ve been
working in this technique for almost 20 years, and I still haven’t
explored all the possibilities."
D. D. S. |
|
