Pronounced Verr Egg-loam-eezay, it is a term used to describe the application of gold leaf on glass using a gelatine adhesive (gold size). It is an ancient technique that is believed to pre-date the Roman era. However, in the 18th century, French decorator Jean-Baptiste Glomy (1711–1786) revived this decorative procedure. So popular was Glomy’s art form, his name became synonymous with it – É-glom-isé.
The practice of Verre Églomisé, by definition, is a single gilded glass panel which is drawn into creating minute detail. The drawing side becomes the reverse side, and the final image is viewed through the glass, the opposite way around.
The celebrity of Glomy transported this fascinating technique onto the 21st Century and for me has become an incredible journey of discovery. Along the way I have had failures, triumphs, and a great deal of experimenting to develop the technique and styles needed for a 21st century art world.
An art world in the shape of Miniatures. The ethos of traditional miniature art work is: Exquisite fine detail and infinite patience. The marks that are made when drawing into soft gold leaf are so fine they are almost invisible to the naked eye. Infinite patience is also needed in the process of gilding glass and drawing onto the surface of the gold leaf, therefor the world of miniature art seems just right for the ancient technique!
Verre Églomisé can also be accomplished in large scale, by applying many sheets of loose gold leaf to a glass panel and employing the same detailed miniature technique in the drawing.