I won Kingdom Arts & Science Competition

                    Winning Entry   
              Tempera and Gilded Box
               By Lady Symonne de la Croix


I decided to enter the Mordonvale 12th night Arts & Science competition 2020.
I had been wanting to try EGG TEMPERA with PERIOD PIGMENTS on a MEDIEVAL RABBIT SKIN GLUE/WHITING GESSOED base for awhile and the competition gave me the motivation to try it.
I also wanted to try other mediaeval techniques of WATER GILDING on Armenian bole, making 23 carat SHELL GOLD and making GLAIR which all worked well with this project.
I chose to paint a wooden box as opposed to a wooden panel that would normally have been used in period.


I chose a Russian manuscript from the T'ORIS ROSLIN GOSPELS (1262 Walters Mamuscrip W.539,fol 7v) to fit into the category : EASTERN EUROPE. 




The PERIOD PIGMENTS I used were lead white (highly toxic), red ochre, malachtite, minium (highly toxic),vermillion, madder lake, verdigris, terre-verte.
I also used a modern ultramarine as I didn't have access to the period lapis lazuli at that time.


I prepared rabbit skin glue then combined it with whiting which I then painted several layers on the box.


I traced down the pattern onto the box.



The bole ready to be Gilded. 


I attempted water gilding but couldn't get the gold to stick.  Ended up using a modern size which was disappointing. I will experiment more with it. 


I used a flooding technique to paint the outer box.


The pigments were then mixed with egg yolk to make the Tempera paint. Then I did detail work.





I was very delighted to win the intermediate level at the Kingdom A&S 
Competition.

My score was 40.2/50

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