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French Polishing and Wax Finishes

Taught by a leading Conservator – Restorer and teacher in France, Pierre-Alain Le Cousin, who will instruct students on the fine art of finishing decorative objects. Particular attention will be spent on French Polishing and the use of wax finishes. As a leading expert in the field of restoration and conservation, Pierre-Alain will be able to share with the students many techniques and insights that would be difficult to get elsewhere. In this course, he will discuss the basics (the ‘mouse’, the different types of shellacs, the different types of waxes), he will present different recipes for using shellac for varnishing, and for filling, different wax recipes, the use of resin based shellac for filling. This will be a very hands on course as Pierre-Alain, will show students how to apply the shellac and wax, how to apply black shellac and shellac for brasses. If times allows, Pierre-Alain will also demonstrate the use of painting techniques in restoration.