Tuesday 31 July 2007

Sanding off the paint and old gesso

Goodness, I'm glad that's over. (Well, the worst of it). It's done my hands no good at all, though my arm muscles are now more toned. The flat underside is the most difficult, and I always leave it till last.

The horse had been painted twice, over patchy remnants of gesso; first in cream, then white. The back legs were reinforced with metal plates held on by twelve screws. One crack was filled with car filler. One back leg has come off, and the other is wobbly.

I pulled out nails as I went. One turned out to be not a nail, but half a drill bit, snapped off and left in the hole. This horse was made with superb craftsmanship, and 'done up' with hamfisted ignorance, the lot of so many rocking horses.

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