David Hockney made a mural at the bottom of the pool of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel that graced the guests as they were enjoying the wonderful outdoor climate, swimming, and gazing out at the water. The mural became known throughout the town and many tourists would come to the hotel just to see the enormous pattern of blue gestural curves that had a strong visual impact from any vantage point. There was always a possibility to catch a glimpse of a Hollywood "A- lister" enjoying the comfortable environment along with the guests.
Over time, the paint has been deteriorated by the chemicals of the water and the constant contact of the guests rubbing up against the floor and walls. The vibrant blue marks went from being the focal point of the view to being minor stains at the bottom of the pool. They just made the pool look dirty and took away from the vibrancy of the water.
The artists of iLia Anossov Design (iLAdesigns.com) have become the saviors of many historical murals all around Los Angeles. Amongst other high profile projects they have worked on an extensive restoration project on the Park Plaza Hotel. The Park Plaza had come to a point where the murals painted directly on plaster (a form of secco fresco) were falling apart and the highly detailed designs were not even visible. The decorations were not only losing their beauty, they were actually fading away completely affecting the overall impression of the hotel.
Because of the desire by the ownership of the hotel to preserve the beauty and artwork of this landmark, a full restoration took place in the month of January 2008. The Roosevelt Hotel hired iLia Anossov a highly acclaimed fresco artist of iLia Anossov Design (iLAdesigns.com) located in Los Angeles to bring this beautiful pool back to life so it could grace the guests once again the way it did in the past. He is mindful of the pools history and can insure the integrity of the process.
iLia Anossov (fresco) is the founder of the Fresco School where he teaches the fundamentals to his students of buon (true) fresco. His classes are not just dedicated to only fresco painting but to all art making in general. He teaches his pupils how to apply their skills in fresco painting and be able to relate it to any task in order to complete anything successfully. He stresses on learning and understanding the structure of going about starting a piece (whether it be a drawing or a life-sized fresco mural. He'll then show his students how to take that beginning structure and bring their ideas to life in a solid professional work.
The restoration process was a series of complex steps that resulted in a glorious finish that could compete with it when it was first made.
Step 1 The entire surface of the pool was cleaned and sanded to a smooth surface.
Step 2 The crescent shape of the Hockney design will be recreated by hand as closely as possible following the contours. A coat of high bodied primer was then be applied to these contours.
Step 3 The contours were then painted in an electric blue color with a "skip brush" process reminiscent of the original painting.
Step 4 A clear sealant was applied over the painted contours that affectively locks in the painted colors between two coats of epoxy and enhances their appearance as well as shields them from the pool water.
by Andrew Karl
Leave a comment