Working with silver leaves is particularly difficult because “when you make a mistake, you can’t go up and repair it. You have to begin again. If you want your work to be smooth, several moving parts have to come up at once”.
Plus, “Gold leaf is an extremely sensitive material, but if I so much as breath, it will travel and really disappear. It’s truly, really slim. And, It’s perhaps about S$ 3 a sheet, at least. Therefore, if you learn to manage it properly, and you get great at it, you’re truly saving yourself money. ”
On top of that, there are other strategies, such as mastery of instruments, perfecting design and making floors look normally aged.
Producing a beautiful piece of work “used to be something I did strive for, but it’s the charm and mistake that I realised I value a lot more than beauty itself, ” she said. “If you think you’re the best, you’re certainly open to learning again, and your journey stops it. ”