Arglwyddes Aur-Gold Lady

Postcards for sale here

This is a mixed media artwork: pen, watercolour and experimenting with gold leaf, inspired by the amazing Gustav Klimt (left).

My love affair with shiny metal goes back to my childhood, as the daughter of a scrap merchant, copper, bronze and gold were never far from my grasp for as long as i can remember. We even had a pot of mercury under the kitchen sink! and I was fascinated by the way mercury separates into little balls that danced across the floor! Today I still wear too much gold I am sure!

Imagine my delight at the opportunity to visit the Gallerie d’Italia in Vicenza, the Palazzo Leoni Montanari, which houses one of the largest collections of Russian Icons outside of Russia, awe inspiring!

Gold of course has been mined in Wales for over 2,000 years and gold jewellery was used by the wealthy and high ranking people of ancient times as a mark of their status. The workmanship of the goldsmiths was of exceptional standards, producing some remarkable pieces. The Celtic craftsmen loved symmetrical designs and patterns including the three-legged (triskeles) shape, like the one on an Iron Age bronze plaque found in Llyn Cerrig Bach in Ynys Môn. The Celts also liked to use animal shapes and faces in their patterns.

Gold was a key part of Byzantine art, due to its natural properties  gold represented the light of god. Gold leaf was used in the Middle Ages to represent religious figures and adorn religious artefacts. The early Russian icons were actually Byzantine religious icons painted by monks in Kiev as a spiritual exercise. The recognisable form of Russian icons that we know today comes from the 12^th century in Novgorod, influenced by local folk art. By the time of the Renaissance art period of the 15th and 16th Century, which focused on human beauty and nature, gold became a symbol of power and status.

In the 20th Century, Byzantine art influences the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt who became renowned for his use of gold leaf in his paintings, where he presents the erotic female form referencing the extravagant mosaics and dazzling use of gold found in Byzantine art.