Wrights of Lymm Ltd have been working with Blackpool Pleasure Beach for many years, supplying them with Gold Leaf, Signwriting Enamels, Signwriting Brushes and many other products for the refurbishing of many of their rides on the Theme Park.  We have recently supplied them with an order for the refurb of some of the rides on the new Nickelodeon Park.

Born in Hampshire 1964, Charming Baker spent most of his early life travelling around the world following his father, a Commando in the British Army. At the age of 12, he and his family finally settled in Ripon, North Yorkshire. Baker left school at 16 and worked various manual jobs.

In 1985, having gone back to college, Baker was accepted onto a course at the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s, where he later returned as a lecturer. After graduating, Baker worked for many years as a commercial artist, also developing his personal work.

Solo shows at the Truman Brewery in 2007 and the Redchurch Street Gallery in 2009 were followed by a show in New York in 2010. In 2011, Baker’s London show at the Mercer Street Studios cemented his place as one of the rising stars in the world of Contemporary Art. In 2012, a sculpture entitled ‘Triumph in the face of absurdity’ was displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, (the piece, a collaboration for the 2012 Olympics between the artist and Sir Paul Smith). His 2013 LA exhibition entitled ‘Lie Down I Think I Love You’ cemented his relationship with the infamous PMM Art Projects, and caused a mass of media interest across America.

Baker’s work explores well-trodden and intrinsically linked themes; life, love, death, terror, joy, despair… with an underlying reference to the classics and a dark humour. Although primarily a painter with an interest in narrative and an understanding of the tradition of painting, in recent years Baker has produced sculptural pieces in a wide and varied choice of materials, (from the anciently traditional to the not so). Baker is also known to purposefully damage his delicate painting, including drilling, cutting and occasionally shooting them with a shotgun, intentionally and inadvertently putting to question the preciousness of art, and adding to the emotive charge of the work he produces.

Damien Hirst says of Baker’s work; “It’s hard to say exactly what makes a painting great… Its flatness and its depth, its ease and its complexity, a kind of preciousness that’s also kind of throwaway, a risk factor. Who gives a damn? Charming Baker’s paintings are great.”

Here you can see some Charming Baker prints produced by Jealous Print Studio in London done with our 24ct Extra Thick Gold Leaf.  These prints can be purchased from Jealous Prints Gallery, please contact us for details  .

 

 

Lisa Antarakis Art Covers (CCAA) is the singular brand of an innovative artist, combining tradition and modernity through its specialties in lacquer and gilding. Its quality approach, his creative talents and his techniques have made ​​it famous during the last 15 years on the most prestigious projects.

For over a year, Lisa is his team by bringing together highly complementary and experienced persons, featuring the project, not only their technical specialties, but also their great adaptability. Lisa has been a human potential at the height of his creativity, but above all very high technical. This team is available for the most demanding projects in the world of luxury and high-end sites.

Lisa and his staff continued their tour of the prestigious sites of the world and offer creations constantly renewed through the project company WVA International.

Based on a creative line after more than 15 years of technical updates to the point of travel in luxury scenery universe, sites of exceptional achievements, teachers meetings, improvements and innovations, Lisa Antarakis Art Covers offers beauty, perfectionism, uniqueness and boldness through its two departments:

Founded by Hugh MacKay, in 1857 at premises in Main Street, Bridgend, Perth they soon became the largest painting company in Perth and acquired additional premises in the basements of Kinnoull Church halls in 1913.

Since the formation of MacKay Decorators Ltd it has been a private company with only four previous owners – Hugh Mackay, Alexander Ness, John Ness and Alexander Henderson. John Nevin, the present Managing Director acquired the company in 1991. More recently with his son Mark Nevin taking on the role as Contracts Director in 2010. Keeping it well in with tradition of being a close family company.

Over the years the company have decorated many prestigious buildings throughout the UK – including the Perth Concert Hall, Perth Museum, Perth Horsecross Theatre, Old City Chambers, Perth, Taymouth Castle, The Grange, Ramsgate, Bank of Scotland Headquarters, The Mound, Edinburgh, Saddell Estates, National Trust Headquarters, Edinburgh, The Regal Cinema in Marble Arch and Holborn Restaurant, London. It has been a pleasure to work with John through the years supplying him with Gold Leaf and sundries for many of these prestigious projects

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, I am pleased to report that the restoration of the ceiling of this Chamber is progressing well and should be completed as planned, by October 1984. The main contract for the supply and fixing of new joinery and structural carpentry was let in January at a price of £577,544. The contract for the restoration of the painted ceiling panels was let in March for £91,870. This work should be completed by August 1983. The fixing of the panels and carved wood should then take about a further year and the restored ceiling should be revealed to view in October 1984. The overall cost of the restoration should remain well within the original estimate of £3 million, thanks to competitive tendering.

I have to say the prices and programme gained in the competitive tender suited the House of Lords more than the contractors !!! – but what a project.

 

Antique Sign Restoration

Our towns and cities are full of once forgotten pieces of architecture, whether that may be the work of the stone mason, carpenter or in our case the sign maker. We are too quick these days to disregard what’s there and start afresh yet we teach our children to recycle all of the time. We’re always thinking of ideas that might work best to create eye catching signage, but if we were to take a closer look all too often we would see that the answer is right there in front of us all along.

I’m fortunate to do work for Chester Renaissance, the heritage division of Cheshire West and Chester Council. Their role is to look after our heritage, preserve what we have, restore and if necessary give a new lease of life. This was the case with the old swing sign hanging off Godstall Lane. “What can we do with this?” was the simple but great question I was asked. I knew straight away that this was something special, the perfect canvas upon which to create a beautiful piece of advertising art. Their intentions were to direct shoppers up a tiny walkway where hidden lay a collection of quaint restaurants and bridal shops. It was my job to show them how powerful this century old piece of tin really could be.

With a reputation stretching back over 20 years Brien Nicholson Ltd is one of Scotland’s leading providers of professional bespoke framing and gilding services, and Wrights of Lymm have had the pleasure of supplying them with their Gold Leaf for a number of years.  Their clients include many of Edinburgh’s best known artists and galleries as well as corporate and private clients.  The team at Brien Nicholson have an instinctive feel for what is the right frame for a given artwork, something that is much appreciated by many of the company’s clients.

Brien Nicholson mainly use 23.5ct but they also use various other carats such as red gold or white gold.  These tarnish slowly and the effect can be wonderful, it can also be so unpredictable !  The process involves extremely thin sheets of gold applied to a prepared surface.  First, layers of gesso are used to fill all imperfections in the wooden frame.  After smoothing, bole is applied in many layers.  This helps prepare the gesso surface.  The final layers are hand rubbed to create as smooth as a surface as possible for the leaf to be applied.  Next, the surface is wetted in small areas by “gilders water”, a water size alcohol solution which activates the adhesion qualities of the bole.  Gold, white gold, silver, even palladium or platinum in extremely thin sheets are dropped onto the wetted surface; capillary action as well as water soaking into the clay draws the leaf down.  The leaf can be burnished to a brilliant, polished appearance when dry, or can be distressed to reveal the bole underneath.  It can also be toned to adjust the colour.

Wrights of Lymm supplied our long standing friend and customer, David Kynaston with 23.5ct Extra Thick Gold Leaf for the stunning restoration of Queens Park suspension bridge in Chester. 

The heraldic crests of the seven Norman Earls of Chester along with the ancient and modern versions of the Chester Arms grace the Queen’s Park Suspension Bridge in Chester. Cast out of lead we repaired broken and missing parts, fully repainted and finished in 23 1/2 carat gold leaf. The silver wolves heads were finished in palladium leaf.

Wrights of Lymm are pleased to have recently supplied Judy with 24ct Extra Thick Loose Gold Leaf which was used to create these wonderful pieces of work, celebrating the Magna Carta.

 

This vellum acknowledges the debt our modern world owes to the beginnings of democracy 800 years ago in 1215.

The central images refer to King John, who, amongst other things, was forced by his barons to agree to fair trials for all, to respect others’ property, and to be himself constrained by these laws.

There are many symbolic colour references, for example, Purple is for power and influence Red for blood and life, Green for growth and change, Blue for hope and aspirations Anodised titanium inlays, a modern metal looking towards the future, And gold, for eternity, as it never decays, is extremely difficult to destroy ( goldsmith workshops used to burn their floor boards every few decades to recover lost gold dust!)

References als in the form of a Green Man for British lands, a Celtic Cross for the church which John had used for his own ends In the poplar board surround is a pounced design, and bottom left are jigsaw references to some countries who believe that their law system owes its existence to Magna Carta, including America and others.

The other full calf skin was commissioned by a Durham University College (St. Cuthbert’s Society) for their 125th anniversary. Again, much symbolism, for example, colour symbolism as above, also.

Centre- Cuthbert’s pectoral cross, Various animals and birds associated with the legends about the northern saint,

The whole design is held together with Judy’s version of Celtic intertwining, so that every part of the painting depends on every other part for its existence – just as the pattern of life in our world depends on each component for its existence – which we are just beginning to realise, aren’t we?