I finished the gilding and mopped the panels for the new ravens piece with distilled water using a very soft brush to make sure that the leaf was well laid down into the adhesive, and cleaning off  any excess from the surface. The gold is still very fragile at this stage, so I need to be very gentle with the brush, because I’d like to avoid making tears in the surface. Using plenty of misted water really helps. I’m not satisfied with the quality of the distilled water I’m using, as it still leaves a slight residue, which I will clean off later. The photo shows the panels prior to being mopped. Now, after a short drying time – maybe a day – I’m onto painting the crows, which will take a while. I really like this piece.
I’m getting more and more involved in meditating in the morning after running and yoga. Following this practice is helping me to be less interested in the material needs of life and more peacefully accepting of the things I cannot change. The Kundalini experience of a couple of months ago is continuing to make its impact felt.
