The Lion Rampant Trompe-L’Œil.

I’m delighted to be the “Artist in Residence” for a gracious client near Cambridge whose passion for architecture and history matches my own. Recently, he invited me to renew two pargeted lion crests—Tudor-era shields sculpted in stucco—on his freshly teal-coated façade.

A fresh teal coat meets Tudor tradition: two trompe-’œil lion rampant in crisp white and vibrant red stand proud against the classic Tudor silhouette.

Reviving east anglia’s pargeting tradition

Pargeting, the time-honored art of decorative stucco unique to East Anglia, was originally designed to break rain—and the ravages of countless limewashes—across centuries of English weather. Our faded lion crests, once bold guardians of the house, had lost their three-dimensional life.

Crafting the illusion

Red and teal sat too closely in value to read clearly from ground level. To restore their presence, I first laid in a crisp, white “negative” of the crest—an underpainting shaped to mimic the missing plaster. Then, using a palette of custom-mixed hues, I sculpted light and shadow by hand:

• Drop Shadow: A deeper teal "shadow" along the left edge to suggest the crest lifting from the wall.

• Highlights & Contours: Lightest values where the sun would graze the crest's edges.

• 3D Shadows Within: Subtle painted shadows on the white crest echo the building’s natural light and shade, crafting a seamless illusion of depth across the teal façade.

Every pigment was balanced to harmonise with the natural light and existing architectural accents, so the illusion holds true whether you’re gazing up from the lawn or inspecting the crest at scaffold height.

A regal welcome

Now, as guests arrive—clients, staff, or simply curious passersby—they’re met by two vibrant Lion Rampants, once again heralding strength and tradition in sumptuous relief.

The restored lions commanding attention against their teal backdrop.