Her chosen subject was a goldfinch using gold leaf and gouache paint. Next she stuck the pieces of gold leaf to the surface pressing them firmly down onto the Gesso. When the Gesso had dried she swept the surface with a very soft brush and the surplus gold leaf fragmented into crumpled flakes which were carefully collected in her bin for future repair work. Waste not want not is the order of the day when you are dealing with gold, indeed she asserted that you must control your breathing because the gold leaf is so thin that the slightest air current will move it off your bench. The final stage was to fill in the vacant areas with gouache colours again with great care and using a the tiniest of brushes.