Peter Davis reached out to us to help with the finishing touch to his amazing portrait of Professor McMillan, a distinguished radiation biologist, commissioned by Keele University. A bespoke dry transfer for the frame of the painting, a fitting application, suiting the frame better than a brass plaque.
Peter Davis shares his project
‘As a professional fine artist, I regularly undertake portrait commissions for business people and private individuals. However, this was my first time painting a university professor – the Vice-Chancellor of Keele University.
The finished piece was going to be permanently displayed in Keele Hall, a 19th-century mansion on the university campus. I wanted the portrait to look extra special once framed – and that’s where BEL Signs came in.
Parts of Keele Hall’s interior are decorated in the Louis XVI style, with gilded furniture and ornate detailing. Although my painting was contemporary, I wanted it to feel as though it could sit comfortably alongside centuries-old portraits you might see in stately homes or national art galleries.
I liked the idea of including both the subject’s name and my own as the artist on or near the portrait. Initially, I considered a brass plaque, but I found that they can look clumsy and often clash with the frame. Then I remembered seeing Renaissance paintings with hand-painted attributions along the base of the frame. That’s when I came up with the idea of adding a dry transfer.
After searching online for companies that specialise in decals, I was impressed by the quality of BEL Signs’ work. I reached out, and when I learned I could have the lettering in satin Pale Gold 871c – a perfect match for the gold accents in the Vice-Chancellor’s ceremonial robe – the plan was set.
Within a week, the dry transfers arrived. I had a few spares made, just in case, but they weren’t needed; the lettering transferred easily onto the frame and, to be honest, looked even better than I had imagined.
The portrait was unveiled at a gala dinner and received a really wonderful response – many people also remarked on how the lettering completed the artwork perfectly. I can wholeheartedly recommend BEL Signs, and I will certainly be using them again for the finishing touch to my next prestigious portrait commission.’
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Thanks so much to Peter for sharing his project and how our dry transfers completed his commission; it is much appreciated.
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