Hand-lettered and painstakingly crafted in my studio, this striking BAR artwork is inspired by the richly decorated glass signs once found in traditional Victorian pubs and bars.
The lettering was drawn entirely by hand, with a decorative scrollwork design framing the word BAR. My design was then painstakingly transferred onto glass and brought to life using traditional heritage sign-making techniques.
The glass has also been nipped all around to create a beautiful bevelled or chamfered edge. Then, I’ve used Victorian technique called glue chipping which involves hot glue being applied to the glass and as it cools and shrinks, creates a crystallised, beautifully textured surface
The glass has also been nipped all around to create a beautiful bevelled or chamfered edge. Then, I’ve used Victorian technique called glue chipping which involves hot glue being applied to the glass and as it cools and shrinks, creates a crystallised, beautifully textured surface.
The textured glass is then gilded by hand with real 24ct gold leaf, giving the lettering an incredible reflective luminosity as the gold catches the light and finished in black enamel paint to produce a classic and striking contrast to the gold.
Finally, the finished glass panel has been mounted onto a beautiful piece of solid oak which has been French polished and chosen to complement the warmth of the gold.
This is not a reproduction or mass-produced decorative sign. It is a completely original, one-off piece of artwork, designed, lettered and handcrafted by me from start to finish.
Creating a piece like this takes considerable time, patience and skill. Glue chipping alone can take weeks to complete, with temperature and humidity carefully controlled throughout the process to achieve the beautiful textured finish. Combined with hand lettering, glass preparation, traditional gilding and oak mounting, every stage is carried out by hand.
