The trompe l'oeil painter - # 09/20

It's always nice to see someone working. At Ham House we are boxing-in a delicate table marble-topped table piece that needs to be protected at certain times and in certain conditions.

Tim and I painted and prepared the wood with an ultra smooth finish, laying on about 5 coats of paint to very precise instructions, each coat being a different type of paint and smoothing down each layer to a mirror-smooth finish before the next one was applied.

This work prepared the base for the trompe l'oeil painter who created a realistic marble top that matches the original hidden underneath the box, and now she is applying a design that will match the surrounding wall panels, which you can see at the back.

It looks great! I tweaked the contrast a bit to emphasise the shadows, but you can already see the realistic effect emerging on the flat surface.

See other "At work in Ham House scenes" in posts # 10, 12, 33, 49, 296, 08/06, 08/73, 08/78, 08/158, 08/167, 08/259, 08/265.

Completely off the wall - # 08/268

So: the tapestry is removed from the wall, held on the cross beam, and the scaffold is wheeled back. The helpers on the top lower the tapestry slowly and those below drag it gently back and lay it face down on the specially prepared extra soft, acid free bedding before rolling it into a kind of Swiss Roll with lots of protective layers (like the jam) inside each turn.

Inside the roll will be a special tube to stiffen it and hold it firm. Dead easy, really! All you need is an army of helpers and many, many hours of planning and preparation, and a certificate in conservation and several other crafts.

The secret is in the detail - # 08/266

Many of you enjoyed yesterday's insight. Here's a detail. Imagine the brownish shreds to be pink and if you enlarge the photo you will get a taste of the intense blue of the original. Amazing! Brilliant blue and pink. This shot used the macro setting on the versatile and highly capable Olympus C7070 wz.

You also enjoyed the appearance of yesterday's photo. Once again, it's a matter of detail. You need a tripod. By paying very careful attention to the siting of the camera and choosing the right metering you can do it. I chose a low ISO, an aperture of f8.0 (for good detail and depth of field), and used centre-weighted metering to make the best of the wonderful lighting effect. A few test shots, a little experimentation as to the points from which the light is metered and an appreciation of how your camera works will guarantee a happy outcome. It's in the detail rather than in the equipment. That shot was done on the Olympus E3 using the 14-35mm f2.0 lens which delivers a beautiful result thanks to the way it handles the available light.

Going to bed - # 08/265

It's a bit difficult to do a daily photo at the moment, and here's one reason why. Putting Ham House to bed is quite a busy activity and the whole staff plus many skilled volunteers are involved.

Over the last several days we have been preparing to take down a tapestry that is magnificent and hundreds of years old. It will go for restoration which will take at least a year.

Over the last 3 days we actually took it down........imagine taking three days to take down your curtains to send to the cleaners.

Removal included making a special box to precise measurements and specifications to allow safe transport to the restoration factory. The Handy-Man Team including me made up the box according to instructions.

Here's the 17th Century "Long Gallery".........all quiet, early in the morning, waiting for the arrival of the team. Lying around is the equipment needed. Today is "Taking Down Day" - it took about 3 to 4 hours after many other hours of preparation and planning.

If you go way back to posts 9 - 12 in 2007 (plus a couple either side, or maybe not???) you will find a small set of posts about a previous project.

The conservation archivist - # 08/158

Another of my little cameo shots of activity at Ham House where I help to repair the unrepairable.

Attention to small details - # 08/89

A workman in touch with his aesthetic side takes care of the needs of Mercury after the ravages of winter and squirrels with sharp teeth.

Those keen on "aesthetic" work may like to see Nathalie's post from Avignon: a fine photographer with a fine sense of humour. http://avignon-in-photos.blogspot.com/