Sophie Blanc

Gilder

©Marion Saupin

©Vincent Baldensperger

©Samuel Cortes

Golden botanicals

Nature is at the heart of Sophie’s work
With her creations, she aims to inspire calm and serenity in others
She worked as a furniture gilder and restorer for many years

In a very delicate process, Sophie Blanc gilds plants that she gathers in the wild. Inspired by memories of her childhood, when she spent time walking in the woods, her sculptures tell the story of her intimate connection with nature. Initially trained as a furniture restorer in cabinetmaking, Sophie first turned to gold leaf to broaden her skills. It is only years of practice later, that she discovered the creative potential of this technique and how she could adapt it to express herself artistically. Full of precision and fragility, her poetic sculptures reflect magic moments experienced in nature. While Sophie still shares the workshop A l'or et du Bois with her partner Jean Blanc, a restorer, she now focuses solely on her own gilding creations.

Interview

©Marion Saupin

©Vincent Baldensperger

What first drew you to gilding?: When I was 30, I decided to change careers and turned to furniture restoration in cabinetmaking. I then trained in gold leaf, in order to broaden my expertise. At that time, as a furniture restorer, I considered gilding as a finishing, nothing more. It is only after 15 years of experience in the craft, that I started to see things differently.
How did you develop your own technique?: I started applying my gold leaf technique to plants. I gild plants, which are very, very light. Thanks to my expertise as a gilder, my mastery of the gesture, I have been able to adapt gilding to plants. I think I am the only one to gild grasses.
What are your pieces inspired by?: My creative expression is all about crafting a story of emotion. In my work, I aim to transcribe a moment when I was in nature, which is my main source of inspiration. In each piece, I only work with plants that I glean from the wild: there was an interaction with the place where I was, and that is what I try to transcribe in my sculptures.
During your journey, did you learn from a Master artisan ?: I have worked with other craftspeople, but it has always been in the form of fairly short experiences. I would have liked to have a master, to benefit from a history of transmission. That is important to me. Today I pass on my skills to an apprentice, so he can replace me as a gilder. I also train other professionals who want to include gold leaf in their work.

Sophie Blanc is a master artisan: she began her career in 2000 and she started teaching in 2015