Although I love every project, and each project is unique in its own way, this one is certainly one of my favourites! Based on 16th Century engravings, we created each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac for each section in this barrel vaulted ceiling. For the first time ever, I painted each rectangular section onto a large sheet of canvas, in my studio in Somerset. Upon completion it was rolled up and stored until we were ready to hang 10 of them at once in situ. More than 7 layers of paint and varnish give an otherworldly, living and breathing night sky background, with the design itself picked out in gold leaf. Background stars are picked out in silver leaf, and each star of the constellations themselves are made up of 3 dimensional stars sculpted in plaster then covered in silver leaf. The multifaceted surfaces of these stars create the effect of twinkling light as you walk around the room. The result is a breathtaking and magical view of the constellations as they’ve been seen for hundreds of years across this huge (80+ meters square) dining room ceiling.