Sunday | September 27, 2026 | 1:00-5:00 pm | all levels (adults) | $130 | gold leaf and acrylic | Falls Church Arts Gallery

Discover the ancient art of gilding in this hands-on workshop exploring the luminous world of gold leaf – and then painting on it. The class will cover:

• Gold leaf materials – real gold, imitation, and other metals (silver, copper, variegated), and when to use each
• Preparing your panel – applying a base paint layer and adhesive, and creating the smooth, receptive surface that gives gold its characteristic depth and glow
• The gilding process – laying and pressing the leaf, patching gaps, and burnishing to a brilliant finish
• Painting on gold – sealing and preparing the gilded surface, then working on top with acrylic.

The class opens with a live demonstration walking through the full process – from bare panel to gilded surface – explaining material choices, timing, and how the gold informs the painting that follows. Students will then work through each stage with individualized guidance and feedback throughout the day.

Whether you are new to gilding or a painter looking to add this centuries-old technique to your practice, this workshop will open a luminous new dimension in your work.

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Yoshiko Ratliff

Yoshiko Ratliff is a DC-Metro area-based painter and award-winning ceramicist. She was born and raised in Japan and uses her artwork to show the beauty and authenticity of the culture and her heritage. Her works rely on abstract organic underpainting with shapes and shades forming integral elements of the finished pieces.

She is a Member Artist at Touchstone Gallery in Washington, DC, and has exhibited her work at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities I Street Gallery, Athenaeum Gallery, Joan Hisaoka Art Gallery at Inova Schar Cancer Institute, the Mansion at Strathmore, three times at the Creative Crafts Council Biennial Exhibition, Glenview Mansion, and other galleries nationwide. She had two designs and ten stormwater covers installed for the City of Alexandria Old Town North Stormwater Cover Design Project.

Her work is found in U.S. and international private and corporate collections and in the 2022 and 2025 DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities permanent collection (acquired through the Art Bank program). She has received many awards and has been featured in publications and radio interviews.