Commission - Portrait of Emily Brontë Completed

Here we are, two coats of varnish applied, giving vibrancy to the colours and providing excellent protection.  

For two weeks, Emily Brontë was like a visitor in my home, like an old friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was delighted to catch up with the latest news. Refreshing my memory of her life and Wuthering Heights, I was more than pleased to open the window and let her in. 

It’s a little harder to photograph a varnished piece as the sheen will bring out the texture of the canvas.

In the video, my husband Brian handled the book while I was filming. Don’t mind the background noises, 

Our budgie Mr. Wallenda is a happy boy and Kiefer, one of our two dogs, is enjoying his bone.

Thank you to my client for her support and encouragement 

and for the opportunity to start the new year in such great company.

❤️

Note

Second-hand stores have a multitude of old books that are on the verge of making it to the dumpster. These are usually found in bins, outside the store, at a ridiculously low price. The ones that are interesting to me are usually old with deckle edges and hard linen covers. These books are in very poor shape and have lost their value. Spines are weak, pages are torn, cut, annotated, drawn and/or scribbled on. Often, any illustrated prints have gone missing. All this doesn’t matter to me. 

I glue every page shut as well as the front and back cover. I weight it down so it keeps its shape and let it dry thoroughly - that could take months if the book is thick. Once dry, it gets two to three coats of primer.

An old, damaged book can get a new life as a painting canvas.