GOLD LEAF SCREENS FOR LONGWOOD GARDENS

Original Paintings of Downeast Maine's Children, Salty Seas and Characters with an Asian Flair.

Asian Gold Leaf Screens Longwood Gardens
INAI INAI BAH Asian Style Gold Leaf Screens. 6 feet by 20 feet
Asian Gold Leaf Screens Longwood Gardens
INAI INAI BAH Gold Leaf Asian Style screens
Gold Leaf, Ground Sea Shells, Mineral Colors on Torinoko type paper that was stretched on to wooden panels.

Longwood Gold Leaf Screen
INAI INAI BAH
This means peek-a-boo in Japanese. Hidden amongst all the flowers are hundreds of bugs.

stretched paper prepared for gold leafing
Paper covered panels ready for gold leafing.
Gold Leafing
Gold Leafing





Longwood Gold Leaf Screen
Ready to Paint
Japanese Gold Leaf Screens
Half Done
Gold Leaf, Ground sea shells and mineral colors

Asian Setting, Asian Music
Playing Before the Screens
The night of the opening was stunning as well as an emotional thrill. Not only did I see the screens in place for the first time, but I also was able to play the Chinese instrument which is so like the Japanese O-koto which I had studied during my time in Tokyo.

GOLD LEAF

by Mary Reindorp
I call Wendilee from time to time when I want to get my brain unstuck from the conventional way of looking at a problem. As an educator, it's wonderful to have someone in my life who was a teacher once, but is fully aware of the parents' perspective on school matters. When I called on a recent midsummer's day and asked if we could get together to dream about curriculum changes, she replied, "Can you come Thursday? I'll be gold leafing. Do you mind if we talk while I gold leaf? You'll be good company for me too." I was not quite sure what gold leafing was like; I was curious to learn more. I also knew talking while she worked would be a great way to get quality time with Wendilee, who is always busy parenting when I stop by for a social call. When I arrived, I did not see her at first. I greeted her son, Ben, and her mother, Harriet, who were on their way out the back door. "Denny calls this my Sistine Chapel," she called cheerily. Wendilee was lying on the patterned carpet on her living room floor, smoothing the underside of what looked like a golden door supported on two saw horses. Flakes of gold, large and small, floated down onto her as she worked. This was one of eight panels that Wendilee was commissioned to fashion for the Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens. The full display was to be twenty feet long and on exhibit in the the main conservatory.