Charles Douglas is a gilder with 40 years’ experience teaching gilding arts across the USA and globally online. Following successful classes in Christchurch in 2024, Douglas is flying in to hold more classes at the Maker Workshop in the Arts Centre. Available to book are a three day Water Gilded Frames & Panels class from the 24th to 26th of April and a Gilding for Absolute Beginners class on the 27th of April. Ahead of this Charles Douglas responded to questions posed by City Art Depot.
Where does your passion for gilding come from?
It’s the world of art that I’m most passionate about in all its forms. Gilding in a sense is a vehicle for that. It’s provided me a path to experience the artworld from within. It allows me to create and then to share what I’ve learned with others. It’s been an amazing journey that now brings me to beautiful New Zealand and the wonderful people and artists here.
What do you see the art or joy of gilding being?
In part it’s the artist’s journey, where it takes me and who I meet along the way. From a more technical view, I enjoy most the anthropological aspect of this artform, its origins, the creative endeavours of the Ancients who came before us. I’m fascinated by the uses of ancient mordants such as ilinocopia which is garlic juice and used in Romanian iconography. It’s ground with a mortar and pestle, its juice strained and applied to a surface and gilded in gold simply by breathing on it to reactivate the garlic as it’s very hygroscopic. I like to use a bamboo straw. It’s also a technique that extends to early manuscript illumination. These mysteries have kept me intrigued throughout the years with always something new to discover.
You are vastly experienced, what is your background. Where did it all begin for you?
I began gilding as a young man living in New York City when I was a member of visual merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue. It was a situation that placed gilding at my feet since Saks gilded their company logos on all their doors in 22k gold leaf as well as using oil gilding in other decorative areas. So gilding just seemed to magically appear in my life.
I apprenticed while at Saks and travelled around the US for them gilding in what must have been about 28 cities around the country. I had no other prior knowledge of gilding at the time but it drew me in and I followed the path, meeting one person after the other who were experienced in other areas of gilding. From there I become immersed with traditional water gilding and restoration. I’ve been very fortunate to have finished frames for works of art by so many amazing artists, from original manuscripts of Mozart, Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven to Picasso, Manet, Corot, Bacon.
As it turned out, after gilding for about 15 years I found out that my grandfather who came from Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada, had also done gilding but I never knew! He did some of the gilding at the Radio City Music Hall and the Roxy Theatre in New York in the 30’s which is where I’m originally from. I’ve since taught in Owen Sound and visited the small town of Tara where he came from. Life can be very mysterious, yes?
How long have you been teaching for? Where do you typically do this?
I’ve been teaching ever since I first learned to gild actually. So, 40 years! But I now am fortunate to dedicate my entire career to education in the gilding arts. I teach several times a year in New York City as well as in various cities around the US such as San Francisco and Logan, Utah. I hold classes in my studio on Whidbey Island in Washington State (which reminds me a lot of New Zealand). I’ve taught in Canada and looking forward to what’s now my second time in Christchurch.
Once the pandemic hit I was encouraged by those around me to teach online through Zoom. Once I figured out the hardware and software for that, as well as creating an entire curriculum online, I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve now taught over 800 people from 26 countries in combined in-person and online classes over the last four years.
What do you hope attendees will get out of the two courses you have while here?
The Water Gilding class will be for two audiences at the same time – those who wish to learn to water gild picture frames, whether for themselves or their customers, and fine artists who wish to learn to water gild panels which historically have been gilded and painted in egg tempera and later oils. I just saw in New York the final day of the exhibition Painting in Siena 1300-1350 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. These beautiful 700 year old gilded panel paintings were water gilded in the same method as what we’ll be doing in class.
The Gilding For Absolute Beginners class will help students begin their gilding journey with a solid foundation in understanding the art of gilding and will come away knowing a simple approach to mordant gilding with both genuine and imitation gold leaf. A fun and insightful day immersed in the world of gilding.
Where will attendees be able to apply their knowledge from the course?
The field of gilding is vast with methods and techniques that have been used for frames, furniture, architectural elements, verre eglomisé, signage, manuscript illumination, works of art combined with painting on paper, canvas, panels and statuary. Students will gain a proper foundation for further study in the direction that appeals to them the most while also gaining some immediate technical ability to begin gilding.
Will they need any prior knowledge or experience?
All levels are welcome so no experience is required. I prefer to teach each subject in gilding from the beginning which helps to ensure everything is done correctly. Most everyone is at or near the same level of gilding experience so students should come relaxed, knowing we’re all in this together.
What type of materials will students be working with?
All the materials and tools for student use are included. The water gilding class will involve calcium carbonate and rabbit skin glue for making and applying traditional gesso; clay bole which is applied over the gesso; and 22k gold leaf. Students can choose between a picture frame or panel as their class project which they’ll gild.
The Absolute Beginners class involves 22k gold leaf as well as imitation gold, also known as brass leaf. A water based acrylic emulsion, or size, is a contemporary mordant used as an adhesive. The beginners class is also good for artists who would like to incorporate gilding into their own works of art. But it’s also good for anyone who wants to learn about gilding. We’ll work on a series of small objects and canvas panels.
Where can readers find the use of this kind of gilding?
Gilding can be found all around us in our daily lives. It’s probably best to consider first the types of gilding out there in the world to be able to spot it.
There are two methods of gilding: water gilding, which can be traced back 3500 years to Mesopotamia and refined during the Renaissance, has been used for gilded egg tempera panel paintings, furniture, architecture and illuminating manuscripts. You’ll find these in museums, galleries, high-end frame shops and private collections.
Mordant gilding in contrast is the application of an adhesive to a non-absorbent object to attach gold or other metal in leaf form to a myriad of objects as well as interior and exterior architectural work. Oil size and water based adhesive is popular today but ancient gilders used a variety of mordants such as garlic juice, glair and gum ammoniac. This type of gilding can also be seen on frames, furniture and objects in retail stores and in theatre sets for plays and operas.
Between these two methods of gilding are a variety of techniques that are used such as sgraffito, where an egg tempera paint is painted over gold leaf and then etched, removing the paint to create images where the underlying gold is revealed. Pastiglia is a technique where raised gesso is used to create relief and then gilded. Granito is the use of punchwork and incision to create decorative elements in gilding, often seen on 13th-18th century Florentine and Sienese gilded panel paintings.
Whether it’s a glass gilded sign on a window or storefront doorway, the walls, corbels, and cornices of an old theatre, or any number of museums, antique shops and galleries, you’ll find examples of gilding just waiting to be discovered.
Bookings and further information of the classes can be found online by clicking on the below image, or at this link: https://www.gildingstudio.com/gilding-classes/gilding-classes-new-zealand-2025
