It's Spring, so Let's Strip!

Before stripping

A sure sign that spring is here is not the blooming daffodils, but Joseph out in the driveway with paint stripper. I had several mirrors that needed to be done, and due to the hazardous nature of the materials, will only strip paint outdoors, on breezy days. And since I had a few to work on, it feels good to get as much out of the way as possible.

This large convex mirror is not period, but a substantial and impressive look. Probably from the 1940s-50 era, it was not done in real gold, which was evident by the areas that had darkened and some parts had turned green.

I'm not sure what I will do with this - since it is not period I can do something more creative, but some re-gilding will be involved. I need to replicate some missing pieces to one side ornament, and the spherules will be replaced with water gilt ones.

Paint mostly stripped

As found

This small Federal mirror did not look that appealing when I purchased it at a recent auction - the bronze paint had turned dark, and touch-ups were a coppery color. It also had some damage, but the eglomise panel, while crudely done, was an original in fine condition.

Stripping the paint shows what this mirror has the potential to become. Fortunately the spherules were in good shape, so that is one blessing, and the gold on them was still intact after stripping.

Discolored bronze paint

Remains of original gilding under the paint

The third mirror is a late Sheraton with a relief carved panel applique. Again, a heavy hand with the bronze paint killed any charm this may have had. Just stripping brought back quite a bit of the original surface, and I may be able to do the repairs without re-gilding (although I will probably need to do all the existing spherules, plus make replacements for the missing ones.

The deadly dull brown of tarnished bronze paint.

Just stripping the paint did wonders for this one

Well, these may not get worked on again for a while, but it is nice knowing that the dirtiest, worst part is over. More posts will follow as these projects move along.

A Convex Mirror Restoration

This winter project for a client in Maine is probably late 19th/early 20th century. Allover gilded with areas of burnished and matte gilding (or bronze powder gilding). There are painted bands at mirror edge (simulating an ebony liner).

As delivered

These mirrors are a classic style, and are always popular, even when out of period. Due to their fragile nature and construction, they often have damage. Any time gesso is applied to a curved surface, age shrinkage and warping tend to have an exaggerated effect. In this case, there were numerous areas of gesso loss: a 3-4" section of top convex band, and areas at outer edges, plus losses on large fruit cornucopia ornaments. The spherules were almost all badly compromised. The bottom pendant ornament was missing approximately 2-3 inches at left side and bottom center leaf.

Missing section of raised band

Edge losses

Cracking and spherule condition

Wishing to avoid a full re-gilding, some areas of damage were stabilized as much as possible, but not stripped. Gesso applied where missing, over new carving on bottom pendant, and on spherules which needed to be stripped and completely redone.

Gesso work

Gilding begins

More gilding

Gilding work done

After distressing/toning, the mirror retains a worn appearance, and if anything, look older than its actual date. More reliable hanging hardware was installed, along with additional bracing for basket ornament.

Finally, a nice looking mirror ready for someone's home.

Salem Harbor Reverse Glass Painting (Part I)

One of my current projects is a reverse painting on glass of a harbor scene.

This request came from a man in Florida who wanted a panel in a mirror, but had no original to copy. Since the mirror was possibly not period, and there was no restriction on the design, the decision was made to honor his wife's home town of Salem, Massachusetts. And since the style of the mirror is Federal, which is the period at which Salem was at its height, this seemed like a good match.

I had done something similar before, but there were difficulties finding images that were iconic enough to be read as "Salem" without presenting historic anachronisms.

The solution was to use a section of a painting in the Peabody Essex Museum showing Crowninshield's wharf. This reflects the influence of the China trade which brought wealth to Salem, and the influence of Asian decorative arts to the western hemisphere.

Panorama of Crowinshield's Wharf at the Peabody Essex Museum

Detail of painting selected

Due to our now famous "winter from hell", as well as assorted mishaps and other issues, our planned trips to the Peabody to view the painting in person kept falling through. The test panel I am preparing to work out the design will have some areas of ambiguity, as the on-line image was not of high enough resolution for me to see all the detail. I am planning that before the final panel is done, I will be able to photograph the original painting.

The first steps were to create a pattern, which, thanks to modern technology, was not difficult (as long as you remember to flip it, since you are painting in reverse!). I added a "Salem" sign to the side of the building, as it seemed the most graceful way of identifying the location.

Color testing on scrap glass (as seen from back)

Since this was a complete new creation, I needed to make at least one preliminary glass. This is not as refined as I want in a finished glass, but it is simply to work out the design, colors, and find out where the problems will arise. In fact, it may even be necessary to do another pass at a test panel before the final, but even if that is necessary, it will still be possible to work on that and the final panel simultaneously.

Even simple designs require drying times between some steps. In this case, there are more steps involved, and the logistics of what to paint in order to shorten the process can be frustrating.

A front view as the work progresses

Completed test panel.

As this progresses, I already have notes on what will change in next version. I'll probably need to do a second test panel before the final.

More to come later....

Sometimes Gold isn't the Answer

As found

I picked up this mirror about seven years ago, and never got around to doing anything with (yeah, same old story). Frankly, it wasn't valuable or attractive enough to warrant my attention. But as part of my resolution to deal with the unfinished project pile, I took it out for re-evaluation.

The outer border was interesting, with its all-over composition ornament resembling woven netting. There were a number of areas of damage, particularly at the edges where this was most vulnerable. It was also covered in the traditional "gold" radiator paint, and with a somewhat charming, but inappropriate painted panel in the upper section.

Rather than invest a lot of time and materials, I opted for a more decorative solution. The low value did not warrant using karat gold leaf, and an all-over gilding seemed like it would be too over-the-top.

Gilding

I used composition gold on the mirror lips and composition ornament adjacent. I then began building up my painted surface, A gray/green was the basis, followed by a violet-tinged gray. This was followed by a glazing of sienna, followed by a wax/rottenstone treatment.

Base coat

Gray coat

The final effect is subtle, yet rich, particularly when the inner applique with its original, though worn gilding as put back. Once mirror plates are installed we are done!

Finished!

The Snow Scene (In driveway and in watercolor)

The shady corner

As our horrendous winter draws to a close, the snow is melting rapidly (well, not that rapidly), and the scene changes with each day. I have been taking pictures, and the other day decided to sit in the back of the van (which was finally removed from its ice tomb) and do a plein air watercolor. I was intrigued with the partially covered flowerpots, and the shadows on the wall. I have taken many pictures, since the light, the shadows, and yes, even the snow level are all changing.

My first version, on a bright day, seems fresh and light, but not as exciting as I had hoped.

Version 1 in the van

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Version 4. I hoped a change to a vertical composition might help. It didn't.

But I was persistent. This is Version 5.

Tried again with version 6.

Finally, version 7. Not completely happy, but I don't want to prolong winter any more than I have to.

The day I was painting the shadows weren't as interesting on the wall as they are in the photo (also, some of these seem to look better on the computer than in real life).I'm sure I'll revisit this - maybe in the summer when I feel more nostalgic for the snow!

A Mirror with "Female Complaints"?

When dismantling an antique mirror prior to restoration, I found some pages from one of Lydia Pinkham's publications being used as backing material. There was no date, but it appears to be late 19th century.

Lydia Pinkham was, in her day, probably as famous as Steve Jobs. Her "vegetable compound" patent medicine was sold to help with "female troubles", that long-ago term for things that were not to be discussed around the men-folk. This seemed to be a pretty much all-encompassing category of issues. What efficacy it had is questionable, but the 20% alcohol content may have been part of the reason for its success.

Apparently there is still a product being sold under this brand name, but it appears to be blended and marketed as an iron supplement.

You can learn more about her here.

The factory was located in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is now home to artist studios and small businesses.

Another Reverse Painting for a Mirror

Completed Mirror. Frame required only minor cleaning.

These small mirrors are fun to do. The reverse paintings were often these simple, folky scenes, and this one of the "cottage by a river" is pretty typical. 

Typical also is the condition these panels are found in. In addition to general deterioration, there were earlier attempts to fix the painting. As we can see, these rarely turn out well, and replication is the better option.

Original panel.  (the number on the tape is just for my tracking purposes).

My version of the panel.