the next mosiac requires patent gold leaf - the real thing

My mother always referred to an impossible search as a peanut hunt. I don't know where the expression comes from, or why she used it in lieu of a wild goose chase or looking for a needle in a haystack, but she just did.

My personal peanut hunt du jour involves looking for a small packet of gold leaf--somewhere in my studio. It's not in the box where it belongs, and I can't remember how many years it has been since I last used it. I think it was before I moved to the Aerie, and I suspect I took it out of its proper place to safeguard it during the move to the Aerie. BLAH! If my mother were still alive, she probably wouldn't have known where it was either, but she would have commiserated with me in my frustration, and would have agreed that it was a true peanut hunt.

I am working on a new mosaic piece, and want to use gold leaf on it. This may entail a special trip to Pearl Paint (but not on this cold and windy night).

So, here I am, figurative cup in hand, wanting not to borrow a cup of sugar, but a half dozen sheets of patent gold leaf (preferrably 22-23 carat). I'll reimburse you the cost, of course.

dark moon (work in progress)

Dark Moon, poly-clay and glass mosaic (work in progress)

This triptych frame has moved with me from one way-station to the next. I don't remember how many times it has come unglued and been fixed. I'm surprised it looks so good after all that. Oddly, I've never used it for anything until now. It was always waiting for the right thing.

It feels right at this point in my life to pay homage to the dark moon. She envelops us in her midnight cloak, and promises that we will emerge transformed, if only we can be still and listen to the answers that we hold deep within our hearts. We tiptoed with much trepidation into the tight and unknown place that is the center of the spiral. We must know that we will walk confidently back out.

The gold leaf that I can't find in the Aerie will be used behind the dark moon figure. Like a medieval artisan, I desire to use precious metals in the context of sacred art.

A note on how I am learning these tile-making and mosaic techniques: Mixed Media Mosaics by Laurie Mika is a great book for the practical and technical aspects of this craft.