T Stands for Tools

I have a picture of some of the tools I use for calligraphy on my header. My favorite mechanical pencil and some pens are resting on a pen dragon.

The Eldest had fashioned my kneaded eraser into Ink. Since she was little, she liked making all sorts of creatures out of the kneaded eraser. I keep the eraser in a plastic Easter egg to keep it clean. I've always enjoyed opening the egg and finding a surprise. She has created a mermaid, dolphin, turtle, cat, whale just some of the creatures I remember. Even now that she's grown up, I still occasionally find a surprise in the egg.

A mechanical pencil isn't good without a lead pointer and a bottle of ink for the pen assortment. Decorated letters pop with gouache, an opaque watercolor. For extra special creations, the decorated letters are gilded with real gold.

The teacup isn't used to hold tea, but a special paint made from gold leaf called shell gold. Two years ago, I traveled to Ender's Island, Mystic Connecticut to attend a week of illuminating and gilding at St. Michael's Institute of Sacred Art. (I loved it so much I attended an advanced class, too.) The week-long classes were taught by Valerie Weilmuenster. Besides learning how to gild, Valerie also taught us how to make shell gold.

Oversimplified, you need a few drops of gum arabic (sap from the acacia tree) in a small, smooth, bowl or cup. You dip your finger in the sticky liquid and lift a sheet of gold leaf (either loose leaf or patent gold) and with your finger "grind" the gold until it is a few small crumbs of gold are left and most of the gold stains the cup. This process is repeated 6 or 7 times. Then the side of the cup and your finger are washed down with distilled water. It is a very slow almost tedious process but it's also meditative.

After several hours, the sediment settles. The water is poured off and you're left with gold that can be used as paint.

I like using the teacup to hold my shell gold instead of the blue bowl I brought to the class. The teacup was sitting unused in the curio cabinet. The teacup was a souvenir from a trip to the United Nations a lifetime ago. It's a pretty china cup but doesn't hold a substantial amount of tea. When the shell gold is not in use, the saucer becomes a lid to keep out dust and debris.

The gold paint got its name of shell gold because, in the middle ages, the gold paint was kept in a seashell. The gold paint dries to a matte finish unlike gilding with gold leaf which is gleaming and shiny. Used together, gilding and shell gold yields a beautiful contrast.

 The C was gilded with gold leaf. The J was painted with the shell gold. The contrast shows up well in the black and white image.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.