Contemporary Fresco Gazette

First True (buon) Fresco Course Approved for Interior Designers

2011-11-18T19:10:45Z

IDCEC has approved the course "True (Buon) Fresco: Introduction for Interior Designers" developed by Fresco School for CEU credit.

The Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) has approved the course titled "True (Buon) Fresco: Introduction for Interior Designers" for Continuing Education credit.

This 1 hour and 15 minute course explains the meaning of true (buon) fresco and dispels misconceptions about this form of art. During the course the participants will learn about the 40-thousand year history of fresco and see famous fresco examples from different cultures. They will learn about fresco styles and have a clear understanding of fresco techniques. They will learn foundational differences between classic lime plasters, including fresco, and imitation techniques, such as modified acrylic based plaster imitations.

]]> The participants will also discover fresco as 100% organic and the most sustainable form of art where all materials and pigments come from Earth. The course will illustrate how fresco can enhance the interior and exterior design of a house in traditional classic or contemporary settings. The course is designed for artists, interior designers, architects, fine art lovers and history lovers as an introduction into the world of fresco.

The course is taught by fresco artist iLia Anossov, one of few artists in the world who can be considered masters of fresco art. His knowledge of the techniques of this most difficult art form is sought out by his contemporaries at great art institutes and museums. Since 1997 iLia has been teaching at the Fresco School the only art school in the U.S. offering ongoing fresco curriculum. iLia's combination of recognition and creative imagination has graced scores of public and private buildings, homes, events. His work includes Malibu Fresco, Albuquerque Fresco, 73rd and 76th Academy Awards Governors Ball, Caesars Palace, restoration of David Hockney's mural and much more.

The course is taught at the premises of Fresco School (www.frescoschool.org) located in the art hub of Downtown Los Angeles right across The LA Mart. The participants will have a chance to see examples of various frescoes as well as the materials and pigments used to create frescoes.

IDCEC is the central approval body for the interior design profession's CEUs. The CE Units will be accepted by its three core members: ASID, IDC and IIDA. CEUs are also accepted by many AIA state boards as Learning Units (LUs).

For more information regarding the dates and times please contact Anatoly at 310-850-7775 or email through http://www.iladesigns.com/fresco_contact.html

Malibu Fresco painting - interview with iLia Anossov (fresco)

2011-06-29T02:26:34Z

The 'Before and After'... In Reverse...

"We plastered and painted in true fresco every wall and ceiling in this house, years then decades, then centuries have passed and there were only a few frescoes left. We had to come back and plaster and paint again and again and again over the old ones and over the new that became old themselves. Now, centuries later, there are just a few left worn out in most places all the way down to the horse-haired, volcanic ash plaster."
A Malibu beach-front retreat built by art collector, designer and antiques dealer Richard Shapiro has "the look, age and aura of a very old, windswept structure from the Mediterranean or the Aegean."

All walls in the house are sheathed in frescoed plaster and partially covered by the Renaissance-style frescoes created by fresco artist iLia Anossov, founder of Fresco School in Los Angeles. iLia, one of very few artists in the world who can be considered masters of the art of fresco painting, has shared some of the inspiration and techniques he used while working on this project.

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What makes fresco paintings so unique?

For centuries fresco has been the most prominent form of art across cultures and continents. Frescoes were painted by the Aztecs, Egyptians, Hindus, Chinese, Europeans and Modern Americans alike. Fresco signifies eternity of art and creates a unique feeling of time, history, and interconnection of different cultures spanning throughout centuries.

Are all walls of the house covered with frescoes?

We started with an idea of putting small fragments of frescoes in several parts of the house. However, it quickly became evident that to create a true feeling of ageless ruin for the entire house the whole house must become that 'fragment'. Each separate remnant of fresco remaining on the wall had to be interconnected with each other, which is only possible if it is part of the design of the entire house.

How did you make frescoes look so authentic?

These frescoes not just look authentic. They are authentic. They are made with same materials and following same wet plaster painting techniques used by the great fresco masters of the Renaissance era. The only thing that we altered was the speed of passage of time.

What do you mean by altering the speed of time?

I had to first create new frescoes as they would have been painted fresh by a fresco master several centuries ago. Then we rushed them through time 'back' into the future of the modern era by literally destroying most of what was created. At first, paintings on the walls looked so crisp, vibrant and new that the task of scraping off most of the paint and plaster throughout the surface seemed almost inconceivable. However, as we went stroke by stroke with the spatula and sand paper, it felt like centuries were passing by advancing us into the modern age and giving the house such a distinct sense of time and a feeling of an ancient refectory or a long-abandoned Renaissance chapel tastefully combined with airy windows and elements of modern furniture.

How were you able to create such an ancient feel of the house?

It is really not enough to paint a fresco and make it look distressed. We created multiple layers of frescoes with each layer representing a certain time period. Imagine that the house was abandoned in 19th century, a lot of walls were damaged and you can see layers of plaster revealing multitude of underlying layers of plaster. Imagine further that last time the house was decorated was in the early 18th century, so the top layer of plaster shows the remains of frescoes of that era. However, underneath we see the previous layer where you can recognize Renaissance frescoes painted in early 1700s. Some places on the walls are "damaged" even more revealing even older layers of plaster dating back to 15th century when the house was "originally" built and the walls were painted in frescoes for the first time.
When you take a closer look at the walls you will see that different layers have different texture and different composition - from a simple sand and lime mixture to marble dust, volcanic ash and horse-hair plaster. Indeed, methods of preparing plaster and its composition vary in different centuries. We used historical data accumulated over the years by the Fresco School on how fresco plaster was prepared during the time periods that we were recreating.

What about the paint? What kind of paint did you use?

Fresco is the only pure "organic" or "green" method of painting - no solvents, glues or man-made materials are used. Pigments are prepared from natural minerals and clays. Plaster is made of calcium lime putty and sand. As wet plaster reacts with the air and calcifies (cures) it permanently binds pigments to the surface of plaster leaving works of art intact for generations and millennia. In fact, a house made in fresco is fully breathable and will never get mold or bacteria.

What are you working on now?

Currently, I am working on a fresco collection for a gallery exhibition and I am in the design stages for a large fresco project in Portland, Oregon. Over 15 years ago I established Fresco School in Los Angeles where I teach buon fresco techniques. In addition to having students, I am also working on new volumes of a Buon Fresco Painting Foundations DVD Series.

Please follow this link to the feature article in Architectural Digest, April 2011, The Renaissance Man

For Fresco Workshops and Classes please follow this link: www.FrescoSchool.org

The Steve McQueen Monument is back in Los Angeles

2010-11-04T21:09:10Z

During 1971 early Los Angeles street artist Kent Twitchell painted his first realistic mural. He called it "Steve McQueen Monument" and
pictures of it began appearing in newspapers everywhere, a two-story cool blue phantom coming out of a house a few blocks west (12th Street and Union Avenue) of Downtown Los Angeles.

]]> The mural stood as a landmark for nearly 30 years, possibly the oldest extant LA Mural of the movement that influenced similar movements throughout the world. Then it was mysteriously painted out. Rumor was that a family from a different country had moved into the house. They did not speak English and did not realize its cultural importance to the City. Eight years later Graduate Art History major Fernando Cervantes, working on a paper about the art of Kent Twitchell, took it upon himself to go to the house and knock on the door. He discovered that yes, there were language issues but the new owners very much wanted the mural restored. Workers had painted it out by accident.

Twitchell decided this was the ideal time to restore his landmark monument, the 30th year after his favorite actor's death. He intends to work with LA's "Fresco School" beginning the first week of November to bring the Steve McQueen Monument back in all its glory.

Pamela Platt restores Dorothy Stuart's buon fresco.

2010-09-12T04:50:35Z

The fresco had been damaged over the winter by a leak in the roof. This was not the first time this particular corner of the mural had been repaired. I was told that someone did some work on it last year and could see that a different hand had worked on the painting.

My intentions were to leave intact as much of the original artist's work with the least amount of interference from myself. When called upon to paint, I did so with the idea of using the true fresco technique (lime plaster and pigments) followed by a secco fresco layer with the use of casein paints.

The corner images were covered with salt: a result of the water leak pushing out elements within the roofing material through the lime plaster. I was fortunate enough to connect with fresco artist at the Fresco School who provided a formula to disintegrate the salt and restore the lime plaster back to its original constitution. The formula originated from Italy and the restoration of frescoes in Florence that were damaged during the 1966 floods. This formula was also used on the cleaning of the Sistine Chapel.

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The use of the formula eliminated the salt residue and brought forth the original images painted by Dorothy Stewart.

I then laid a brown coat on the surfaces that needed patching and then laid the fresco coat on that, creating, at best, a level surface to the original fresco. During the drying stages of the brown coat, I created fresco color samples so that I could match the existing mural colors when painting in the fresco patches. In some areas of the original mural I did not lay a fresco coat as I discovered that a glaze of casein pigment washed over the original image brought back its luster and with less interference from me.
Some of the cleaned surfaces still lacked the original luster and I made glazes from the casein paints to wash over the dull areas. This worked well.

The militia men were the most difficult images to restore: somebody else had already touched upon them and there was a mixture of surfaces upon which to paint. The previous touch-ups were confusing in their drawing. I feel, however, that the job was successful, especially when considered with the medley of painted conditions on the surrounding walls: the walls that I worked on had already been touched up, the wall directly across from the militia men had also been repainted (quick note: it was once a doorway and had been filled in and painted in 1955 - the guitar player and the man behind him look like the well-known Mexican actor at that time, Cantinflas) and there is a worn feeling to the ceiling of the alcove. This all helps in the blending in of the damaged areas and to camouflage the repairs.

True fresco needs six months to a year to dry thoroughly and I will come back in that time to check the work done.

by Pamela Platt

www.PamelaPlattStudio.com

Degradation and Conservation of Frescoes.

2010-06-23T23:16:22Z

Deterioration of fresco paintings results from the open, porous nature of their support (walls and ceilings of buildings or other carriers) and their interaction with the surrounding microclimates.

The porous mortar backing provides an easy route for the movement of dilute salt solutions. Salts contained in the building materials or the surrounding area can be readily transported to the plaster underlying the painting. Old leaky roof, clogged gutters or subterranean walls and/or semi-buried walls - anything that would cause water to soak and remain in the wall will eventually bring salts from adjasent areas into the plaster. The wall and fresco can get wet from the rains and not be affected as long as it is exposed to freely moving air that would dry it naturally.

Expansion in volume associated with crystallization of these salts disrupts the plaster-pigment adhesion and leads to disintegration of the surface. Such crystallization depends on the identity of the salts and the moisture content of masonry which is subject to seasonal variations in atmospheric humidity and the amount of rain.

]]> Conservation methods have been developed to remove salts formed from reactions of sulfate ion traveling through the mortar. When the sulfate ion reacts with calcium, it forms calcium sulfate, gypsum. Since gypsum is more soluble than calcium carbonate, it dissolves and re-crystallizes with changes in humidity. These cycles lead to severe damage when the gypsum crystallizes just beneath or throughout the paint layer.

Florentine floods of 1966 spurred the development of a conservation treatment, the "Barium Method," in which a series of poultices are applied to such sulfate-damaged fresco paintings to form the less soluble barium sulfate from calcium sulfate The first step in this procedure solubilizes calcium sulfate.

A thick swab of soft absorbent paper (paper towel) containing a supersaturated solution of ammonium carbonate [(NH4)2CO3] is applied to the surface of the fresco so that the solution is absorbed by the wall. Any calcium carbonate forming on the surface of painting is swabbed away; whereas, that formed within the plaster helps re- establish cohesion.

CaSO4) + (NH4)2CO3(aq) [(NH4)2SO4(aq) + CaCO3(s)

It is followed by application of a solution containing Barium Hydroxide also applied using thick swab of soft absorbent paper (paper towel). Barium Hydroxide converts any remaining calcium sulfate present into the less soluble barium sulfate:

Ba(OH)2(aq + CaSO4(s) BaSO4(s) + Ca(OH-)2

The excess barium hydroxide is homogeneously absorbed into the intonaco. It reacts with any sulfate ion present to form barium sulfate and arrests further migration of this ion or with atmospheric carbon dioxide to act as a binding agent to consolidate the plaster and pigments:

Ba(OH)2(aq + CO2 BaCO3(s) + H2O

The scientific basis of this conservation rests on differences in the solubility of several salts. The barium method was applied to restoration of the frescoes of Brancacci Chapel in Florence in which calcium sulfate had been shown to be the major agent of destruction. The second most common cause of deterioration of frescoes comes from previous conservation efforts in which early conservationists attempted to protect the fresco or brighten colors with glues, oils, egg white and/or waxes.

In time, these organic materials darken, shrink, and lift off paint layers. In addition, they provide nutrients for the growth of microorganisms and prevent the exchange of moisture and air between the fresco and atmosphere. Recent restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes focused on removing the residues of early conservation efforts by treating the frescoes with a cleaning solution to solubilize glues and waxes. The cleaning solution contained ammonium bicarbonate, (NH4)2CO3(aq) to remove calcium sulfate (equation 1).

Consolidation of loose paint and intonaco was, however, done with polymeric injections as the paintings in the Sistine Chapel contained low levels of sulfates, but high levels of nitrates, a counter indication to barium hydroxide treatment Speculate on the reasons why the barium method would be inappropriate under these conditions.

Barrium method can be used to treat restore/conserve lime plaster walls ceilings, etc.

img cortesy of Pamela Platt, fresco by Dorothy Stewart

Introducing Fresco Lath - Clay (brick) Lath

2010-02-13T00:14:00Z

Introducing Fresco Lath - Clay (brick) Lath, a product that combines innovation with tradition! "Fresco Lath," is the ideal base or foundation for small frescoes, mosaics or any job requiring a plaster base. Fresco Lath is a thin wire lath with clay heads at the cross points. The Fresco Lath comes pre-cut in 3' x 3' size (www.FrescoShop.com) and 15' x 3' rolls and is a true plaster carrier, meaning that its attributes far outweigh the modern metal lath and is revolutionary for many scopes of artistic application.

]]> What this means for the artist and plasterer is that Fresco Lath provides perfect plaster adherence. Fired clay, when added to lime plaster, creates a chemical reaction that causes the clay and plaster to harden and meld firmly into one another, creating one solid, rock-like piece. This product creates the same hydraulic reaction developed by the Roman Empire to form Roman cement by using ground up clay tiles, slaked lime and sand - a process as old as construction itself and durable enough to withstand millennia.

Unlike metal lath, Fresco lath can be not only affixed to almost any surface, it can also be sculpted and bent into any shape and its applications are therefore limited only by imagination. Fresco lath also saves time and materials. Requiring only one base coat of plaster, it combines arriccio and the scratch coat where other types of lath typically require three or more layers of plaster to achieve the same cohesive quality.

Clay lath was originally patented in 1890 by the German Empire and since that time, has been used in construction and architecture around the world, visit www.ClayLath.com to view a gallery showcasing the extensive use of clay lath. Fresco lath is a 'green' plaster support made of natural materials that inhibit the growth of mold, thereby creating breathable works of art. Fresco lath is a healthy building material that enables artists to easily integrate natural and traditional solutions into contemporary applications. Utilizing similar techniques and materials as the ancients, it's possible to create works of art that will endure the centuries and at the same time promote practical solutions for the modern day economic and environmental challenges we face as artists and designers.

'Welcome Apples on the Wall across Wilshire' Buon Fresco on Clay Lath painted by iLia Anossov (fresco) and the community during "The Wall Project" event in Los Angeles.

Fresco Painting Event for The 20th Anniversary Celebration of The Fall of the Berlin Wall Project

2009-10-20T23:57:07Z

October 24 - 25, 10AM - 4PM. The "Wall As Canvas II" painting event to be held on the grounds of the Page Museum, 5801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Join iLia Anossov (fresco) of The Fresco School as he paints frescoes on sections of The Wall Across Wilshire as part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of The Fall of the Berlin Wall Project. After a fresco demonstration by iLia, viewers themselves are encouraged to participate in painting frescoes on actual section of The Wall Across Wilshire. On November 8, wall segments will be joined to form "The Wall Across Wilshire." That evening, during a midnight ceremony, artists will topple the Wall as it is broadcast live on German television.

]]> "Fresco is a dynamic art form that belongs everywhere, not just on church walls," says Mr. Anossov (fresco). During the "Wall as Canvas II" event, he will re-create works in fresco on sections of the Wall Across Wilshire that he originally painted in oil while he lived in Moscow behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980's. By painting his former works in oil as fresco, iLia will demonstrate how Fresco painting can be utilized in contemporary forms. His chosen subject matter and style of works made during his years behind the Iron Curtain symbolically expresses a reunion of past and present in the new freedom from "Walls" of any kind whether it would be the wall of Cold War or the wall between classic and contemporary arts.

Because of his passion for the use of environmentally sustainable products, iLia will apply the fresco plaster for this event onto a Stauss brick/clay lath - a durable and earth-friendly backing for plaster applications. This chemical-free, non-combustible lath is the greenest and most environmentally conscious way to build a wall. The Stauss lath does not rot and creates breathable, earthquake safe walls for the same price of dry construction. By using this clay lath, iLia's goal is to further educate the public on green building solutions.

After a brief hands-on Fresco tutorial by iLia, everyone present, regardless of artistic ability is encouraged to experiment and be a part of this historic event by creating their own frescoes on sections of the commemorative Berlin Wall. Join in this historic event and celebrate freedom of artistic expression with a rare chance to work side-by-side with Mr. Anossov, one of the very few artists in the world who can be considered a master in the art of fresco painting.

Fresco artist iLia Anossov is the owner, creator and head instructor of The Fresco School, established in 1997 in Los Angeles. The Fresco School is the only art school offering a full spectrum of ongoing (buon) true fresco curriculum throughout the entire calendar year. Hundreds of students from around the world have attended The Fresco School's workshops and classes, from amateurs to professionals, including schoolteachers and university professors. With iLia and The Fresco School leading the way, Fresco - the ultimate fusion of art and architecture - will soon be painted in every town!

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The Wall Project (www.wallproject.org), a civic commemoration, and series of public art events marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In October, a Wall
Across Wilshire will be provided to select artists including Shepard Fairey and organizations from Los Angeles who will paint their creative responses to the walls in our lives. In addition, ten newly acquired segments of the original Berlin Wall will form a Wall Along Wilshire. The Wall Along Wilshire will be painted by Kent Twitchell and Thierry Noir and will become part of The Wende Museum's permanent collection at the conclusion of The Wall Project.

The Fresco School - On the road to see Frescoes being painted in every town!

2009-06-29T19:55:52Z

Since 1997 The Fresco School in Los Angeles, California has been the world's premiere institution for instruction in the "Mother of All Arts," the (buon) true fresco technique. Now the school is growing in even more new and exciting ways. "Our goal is to see fresco being painted in every town" - says iLia Anossov (fresco), founder of the Fresco School. To achieve this goal Fresco School is proud to announce diverse expansion with a new facility, private fresco class options and an in-depth DVD tutorial series. Classic fresco paintings, like those by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, are the oldest, and at the same time, the most endangered form of art. Learn the only pure "organic" method of painting - no solvents, glues or man-made materials are used. Paint with molten marble like the magnificent Renaissance masters. Discover the most permanent art form, one that lasts through the centuries or millennia!

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For Schedule of classes and enrollment info - www.FrescoSchool.org
To purchase "Buon Fresco Foundations" Video tutorial - www.FrescoSchool.com or www.FrescoSchoolPress.com

 The True Green & Organic Method of Painting

As both modern society and the paint and decorative art industries move more toward the use of green products, fresco stands as the original and truly pure "organic" method of painting. Fresco painting uses no petroleum-based solvents, glues or man-made materials, therefore, none of the toxic fumes associated with volatile organic compounds (VOC's) are created. True frescoes are made of slaked lime (calcium hydrate) and paints prepared from natural pigments of oxides, ochres, umbers and made of minerals and various clays. Calcium hydrate, or lime patty, is not only a crucial element for proper functioning of the human body, but also has been used in agriculture as fertilizer since the beginning of written record. Any plaster and paint debris from fresco painting can be dispersed safely and harmlessly into the ground since it contains a natural chemical composition that directly benefits the earth and came from the earth.

 The Fresco School -

The only art school offering a full spectrum of ongoing fresco curriculum throughout the entire calendar year, The Fresco School focuses solely on the traditional (buon) true fresco technique, which is often not available in mainstream art schools. From introductory level lessons to advanced fresco programs, our curriculum also includes supplemental fresco restoration techniques and mural painting seminars. Each class schedule is custom-designed for the individual student. All programs are taught by highly accredited working professional artists and craftsmen.

 New Fresco School Facilities -

With 20' tall ceilings and over 8000 square feet of floor space, the new Fresco School location near Broadway and Washington in the art hub of downtown Los Angeles. Main classroom features a full scale "Fresco Practice Wall" and is perfect for learning how to construct full-sized frescoes. Originally built in 1925, the new facility is constructed of open-air classrooms punctuated by columns, giving the student a space to properly examine fresco art as the logical link between architecture and decoration. The expansive fresco showroom and fresco wall gives a chance to view frescoes as they are meant to be viewed - with space and at a distance. Walking distance or "quick jump" on the metro from major downtown hotels and museums makes it very convenient for on-the-budget student.

 Fresco Wall an essential tool for advanced classes -

In an effort to give a tangible context in which classic frescoes are built, The Fresco School has constructed a full size, 8' x 16', four-coat Fresco Wall. The new structure offers students an authentic opportunity to practice multiple Giornata Frescoes, Fresco removal methods - strappo or calicot, lime painting, distemper as well as Secco and Mezzo fresco. Whether used by advanced fresco apprentices to gain practice and skill needed for working in sections for painting full-scale wall frescoes or novices learning classic painting techniques, the Fresco Wall is an important tool.

 DVD Tutorial: Buon Fresco Foundations Video Set-

This indispensable video set is a crucial reference tool and major catalyst to better productivity during workshops as well as a prerequisite to attending any class. This complete fresco tutorial introduces students to the foundational principles and techniques of classic Fresco Painting.

This five-volume complete DVD tutorial includes:

• "Fresco Plaster" - Introduction to foundational principles and techniques of the preparation and application of slaked lime plaster for True (Buon) Fresco Painting.

• "Fresco Cartoon" - Fundamentals of drawing a full-scale rendering, a vital tool for proper execution of the future fresco.

• "Fresco Pigments & Paint" - Guide for selection of natural minerals and oxides and how prepare paints and condition them for fresco painting.

• "Fresco Painting - Verdaccio" - Basics of full monochromatic under-painting techniques for creation of tonal values and a crucial element of fresco painting.

• "Fresco Painting - Color" - Principals for understanding how build volume, tone and color using layers, using both transparent and opaque fresco painting methods.

To purchase "Buon Fresco Foundations" Video tutorial - www.FrescoSchool.com or www.FrescoSchoolPress.com

iLia Anossov (fresco), one of the very few artists in the world who can be considered a master in the art of fresco painting, guides the student by a thorough and clear demonstration of the principles of fresco buono by creating genuine buon frescoes in front of the camera. The entire process, from selecting materials to the completion of a fresco, is explained and filmed in real time without omissions.

 Buon Fresco Foundations - Superior Techniques For All Painted Images!
The Buon Fresco Foundations Tutorial is not just for fresco painters.

Paintings as well as drawings created in oil or other non-fresco mediums have a relatively short life time and examples can be traced back only several hundred years, reproductions and photographs even less. Historically frescoes were the only remaining "records", references to the techniques, methods and styles used by the artists of the past becoming the ultimate "test books" serving artists through tenth of thousands of years. Since the Renaissance Fresco is referred to as "The Mother of All Arts".

Even a brief experience in fresco will dramatically improve your work in other visual arts mediums. The fresco experience an artist receives using this DVD set and/or attending a fresco workshop is invaluable for a better understanding of the classic principles of visual arts as it applies to painting and drawing. During just a few days of fresco study, the intricate and refined technical details of any medium become evident to the student, while it can take years to understand the same principles when using other mediums.

The most efficient drafting and painting methods and systems ever known were ultimately discovered through fresco techniques because of the precision necessary and the time constraints dictated by the chemical reactions that occur during fresco painting. In this DVD tutorial we demonstrate these foundational principles. Known as the Classic Painting system/technique, these are the most efficient and refined painting methods in visual art.

 New Options From The Fresco School

From introductory levels to advanced classes, The Fresco School has always offered all-inclusive insight and practical instruction in the traditional buon fresco painting technique. But now, with one on one Instructor-Assisted Buon Fresco Painting Practice Sessions, Private Fresco Tutoring and Individual Fresco Classes, students can catapult to higher levels of achievement with these supplemental "after workshop" opportunities to explore the medium.
For advanced and apprentice level fresco students, fully equipped workstations, complete with plastering assistance, are now also available with daily access to the studio during normal business hours.

New supplemental classes for advanced fresco study covering strappo, mezzo, secco and distemper techniques as well as perspective and value-tone-color classes further reveal correlations between fresco and conventional mediums. Thus making it evident that fresco, as the origin of the painting arts is the ultimate and the most effective method to learn the art of painting.

 Coming Soon - Financial Aid

For Schedule of classes and enrollment info - www.FrescoSchool.org
To purchase "Buon Fresco Foundations" Video tutorial - www.FrescoSchool.com or www.FrescoSchoolPress.com

by Anna Metcalf

The New Fresco Practice Wall at the Fresco School!

2009-04-06T01:13:55Z

Originally established in 1997, The Fresco School - www.FrescoSchool.org, dedicated to providing every facet imaginable for an authentic (Buon) True Fresco education, has constructed a full size, 8' x 16', four-coat Fresco Wall. Now students enrolled in Advanced Level Fresco Workshops and Programs can practice multiple Giornata Frescoes, Fresco removal methods, strappo or calicot as well as alternate techniques such as lime painting, distemper, Secco and Mezzo fresco methods all at one convenient location in the premiere arts district of downtown Los Angeles. The Fresco Wall supplies a chance to explore a medium that becomes part of a permanent structure. Fresco - the ultimate fusion of art and architecture.

]]> The Fresco Wall offers an accurate opportunity to investigate not only different techniques in fresco painting, but also gives the student rare opportunity for a daily practice in finishing small sections of a larger, full-scale fresco mural. The ample sense of space allows palpable exposure to the context in which classic frescoes are built. This setting provides the actual infrastructure necessary upon which to gather the skills to work effectively within the time constraints dictated by the chemical reactions that occur during fresco painting.

Construction of the Fresco Painting Practice Wall at Fresco School's video channel at YouTube. http://www.YouTube.com/FrescoSchool

Fresco techniques are the essential key to obtain a thorough understanding of all other visual art mediums. The complex information bank and technological achievements of the modern age tempt and often force artists to take short cuts in their education. When students approach this medium, any pre-conceived notions they may have about mixing colors are put to the test. Layers of a color in fresco expose only correct color combinations, resulting in a true foundation for understanding color and value. Students and professionals alike learn to build and integrate color in the ways that allow them to render their painting techniques faster and more effectively.

Fresco, the oldest form of art that began as simple Neolithic cave paintings, is not enslaved by anything trendy or temporary; but includes everything that has passed the test of time. iLia Anossov (fresco), founder of The Fresco School and one of a handful of buon (true) fresco masters in the world says, "Fresco is pure and simple. Yes, it is the most challenging technique, but it's not hard to learn and understand. Refining and perfecting takes time, but the road is very clear if you have the true foundations!" The Fresco Wall at The Fresco School provides a continual venue for artists of all genres to practice classic techniques and to gain familiarity with the structure and form of not only fresco, but of all visual art forms.

by Anna Metcalf

Fresco Workshops and Programs at
http://www.FrescoSchool.org

Buon Fresco Foundations - DVD tutorials on fresco painting:
http://www.FrescoSchoolPress.com

THRILLER: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool

2009-03-12T08:28:54Z

LOOK Gallery is proudto announce its inaugural show, "THRILLER: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool," an exhibition of works seen and unseen, small and large, by L.A.'s pre-eminent muralist, Kent Twitchell, April 2 to 24, 2009.

For the first the time ever, Twitchell will publicly show his Michael Jackson mural. Commissioned by the Hollywood Arts Council in a move to symbolize the neighborhood's cultural renaissance, this 80' tall mural was originally slated to be shown on the side of the Barker Bros. Building (now the El Capitan Theatre) on Hollywood Blvd. in 1993. This public debut of the work at LOOK Gallery will be accompanied by lightboxes containing photos from Jackson's original portrait sitting for the mural.

]]> Twitchell will also introduce a full-scale re-creation of his first public work, a portrait of Steve McQueen, originally painted on a house in Hollywood, while Twitchell was still a student. The mural has since been accidentally covered over. Additionally, pencil and pastel studies of many of Twitchell's most famous works - including the iconic Ed Ruscha and City of Los Angeles Marathon murals - will be on view, and available for purchase.

LOOK Gallery is a new gallery space located in the L.A. Mart Design Center, at the southern end of downtown Los Angeles. At approximately 3,000 sq. ft., LOOK Gallery is ideally suited to accommodate adventurous and large-scale works of art. Designed by Ann Gray (F.A.I.A.), LOOK Gallery represents an exceptional new art space in the burgeoning Furniture and Decorative District of Los Angeles.

About Jerri Levi, Founder and Director of LOOK Gallery Gallery Founder and Director Jerri Levi hails from a diverse background in the arts, architecture and design.
She has developed ad campaigns, cross promotions and ultimately - as Advertising and Marketing Director of LA Architect, LA Inside and FORM magazines - corporate sponsorships and cause-marketing programs, including MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), Project Angel Food, and Habitat for Humanity. Most recently she has co-produced the highly profiled "Fine Living" showcases in conjunction
with the L.A. Mart.

WHAT:
Thriller: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool
The Undiscovered Works of Kent Twitchell
WHEN:
Opening Reception
April 2, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm
Exhibition Runs - by appointment only
April 2 to 24, 2009
WHERE:
LOOK Gallery
1933 S. Broadway, Suite 111
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213/748-1113
www.LookArtists.net

Michael Jackson Mural - Footage from the show - from Fresco School Video Channel

Opening Reception

Closing Reception

from the world Fresco News, february 2009

2009-02-13T18:15:46Z

Potala Palace repairs to complete late 2009
Xinhua - China
Repairs to the ancient buildings and ancient fresco paintings at the three sites has almost been completed, while the fire control, lighting, ...

Work on stately home will save historic frescoes
Bury Free Press - Bury St. Edmunds,England,UK
By Jo Thewlis Emergency repair work to the roof at Ickworth House could save neo-classical frescoes which are peeling away due to damp in the walls. ...

The Arts Center - Exhibit 'Storylines' by JS Bird
Corvallis Gazette Times - Corvallis,OR,USA
... cave painting, Meso-American sculpture and architecture, Oceanic sculpture and early Renaissance fresco's are a few of his many sources of inspiration. ...

The eternal female: Worship of the mother goddess
Independent - London,England,UK
Frescoes at the palace of Thera, on the island of Santorini, 100km north of Crete, show women standing on balconies overseeing processions of young men who ...]]> Hurry to see Guglielmi fresco hidden for centuries
Reuters - USA
"We wanted to transport an exhibition here to the site of one of his most important works so that the public might rediscover his painting and appreciate ...

Between art and life
New Statesman - London,England,UK
... they meditate on a fresco cycle by Piero della Francesca. In the house they rent up the road, they devour books on Renaissance painting and Vasari's ...

THE BEST "ART 101" Artnet - New York,NY,USA
Giotto's frescoes of the life of Christ and the Virgin in the Scrovegni, or Arena Chapel, in Padua. The figures for the first time ever exist in real space. ...

Greek Glendi Festival set to kick off Thursday
Bradenton Herald - FL, United States
... festival there will be guided tours of the church's regal sanctuary, sunlit white walls graced with glittering Byzantine mosaics and colored frescoes. ...

Hotel Pironi, Lake Maggiore
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
Frescoes and vaulted ceilings are mixed with contemporary lighting and modern furniture. Outside there is a tiny piazza, where two alleys converge, ...

Kerala, India: Music, mime and silence
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
The highlight is a sequence of intricately detailed frescoes, painted in orange and red dyes made from saffron and madder, and depicting scenes from the ...

Art under threat from climate change-UN experts
Reuters - USA
In Italy, curators have used micro-organisms instead of chemicals to clean masonry in Milan and to remove unwanted glues from frescoes in Pisa, ...

Gothic Romance at Trieste's Castello di Miramare
Examiner.com - USA
The red-and-gold Audience Hall forever links his ancestry and fate via ceiling frescoes of the Hapsburg coat of arms, Mexico's Chapultepec Castle and the ...

Bugs drafted in for battle to save artworks
guardian.co.uk - UK
Biotechnology can unleash a bacillus to "explode the guts" of beetles which damage paintings, frescos, tapestries and sculptures, a gathering of scientists ...

Possible Ramona Bowl sale prompts concern about fresco it houses

2009-01-15T17:10:14Z

The museum at the Ramona Bowl Amphitheater is a trove of photos, scripts, costumes and other mementos of past productions of "Ramona." The venue's signature outdoor play is an annual San Jacinto Valley tradition dating to 1923.

Tucked at the back of the museum is a little-known artistic treasure associated with a noted painter, Milford Zornes, who left his mark across the Inland area.

Looming above an organ dating to the late 1800s that was used in bygone productions of "Ramona" is a fresco depicting scenes from California's mission period and the story of how white settlers interacted with native Californians. In 1942, Zornes helped oversee the painting of the fresco.

]]> "I don't think that many people are aware of this," said William Anderson, an art gallery owner in Sunset Beach who collaborated with Zornes for 15 years, referring to the fresco's connection to Zornes. Now, as officials at the cash-strapped nonprofit association that owns the Ramona Bowl near Hemet are considering selling the property to Riverside County, relatives, friends and associates of Zornes worry about the fresco's future preservation.

"I'm really concerned that, if somebody goes in there and renovates that building, they might not recognize the mural," said Zornes' son-in-law, Hal Baker, 66, of Sacramento. "We'd like to see that it's not destroyed, if we can help it."

Louis Amestoy, the Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre board president and interim general manager, said any sales agreement would include a provision to keep the building that houses the museum and fresco intact.

Continue to full article at Press-Enterprise (www.pe.com):

http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_E_zornes14.456849b.html

Fresco School Announces New Video Set "Buon Fresco Foundations"

2008-12-22T18:08:52Z

Fresco School is proud to announce the official release of the DVD Tutorial - "FRESCO PLASTER" from their "BUON FRESCO FOUNDATIONS" video set.

"Buon Fresco Foundations" - Fresco Plaster DVD video introduces the student to foundational principles and techniques of the preparation and application of slaked lime plaster for True (Buon) Fresco Painting. Topics illustrated include the step-by-step process of plaster preparation filmed in real time without omissions. A student will be able to see exactly how long each step takes and what tools and methods each requires. iLia Anossov (fresco) guides the student by a thorough and clear demonstration of the foundations of calcium fresco plastering relevant to any size fresco.

Volume 1 "FRESCO PLASTER" is the first video in the set of 5 full length (140min each) DVDs detailing the foundational principles of Fresco Painting. Volumes 2-5, "Fresco Cartoon", "Fresco Pigments & Paint", "Fresco Painting - Verdaccio" and "Fresco Painting - Color" are planned to be released the end of the first quarter of 2009.

"Our goal is to have Frescoes being painted in every town! By very modest estimate this will take at least 10,000 artists a lifetime to accomplish."
iLia Anossov (fresco)

]]> Fresco School was established in 1997 in Los Angeles by fresco artist iLia Anossov (fresco). Hundreds of students have attended their workshops enrolling from US, Canada, Europe. Fresco School is the only Art School that offers ongoing fresco curriculum throughout the calendar year. Their buon fresco programs have traveled to many US cities.

Curriculum is focused on the traditional buon (true) fresco technique. Fresco School offers a full spectrum of boun fresco workshops and classes from introductory level lessons to advanced fresco programs and private fresco tutoring. The curriculum also includes supplemental fresco restoration, mural painting seminars and fresco demos.

Fresco School programs and seminars are taught by highly accredited working professional artists and craftsmen. Fresco programs are lead by iLia Anossov (fresco painting) and Ian Hardwick (fresco plaster). Supplemental seminars are conducted by Nathan Zakheim (fresco restoration) and Kent Twitchell (large scale murals).

Boun Fresco Foundations Video Set is a part of "Introduction to True (Buon) Fresco Painting Series" produced for the Fresco School by Fresco School Productions Inc., published and distributed by Fresco School Press.

Topics Covered:

Fresco Tools & Materials
Fresco Lime Putty
Plaster Ratios & Coats
Plaster Mixing & Application
Arriccio & Intonaco Coats
"Paint Ready" Tests
Storing Fresco Plaster
Fresco Support Options

120 Minutes of Lecture
20 Minutes Bonus Material

~~$74.99~~ $67.49

DO NOT MISS - DVD Release & Holiday Special rolled into one! Get 10% off the list price and Free Shipping until 22nd of January!

We Accept Credit Card Payments online through:

or "Add to Cart" (also use PayPal "Add to Cart" to by several copies)

for large orders or other payment methods call:

Fresco School Press
www.FrescoSchoolPress.com
(310) 591-8028

Fresco School (workshops and classes)
www.FrescoSchool.org

Albuquerque Fresco & Dolphin Fresco at Fresco School Video Channel

2008-12-14T19:25:55Z

Fresco School Video Channel at YouTube.com presents two new fresco videos!

"Albuquerque Fresco" - video vignette of over 400 sq. feet buon fresco painted by iLia Anossov (fresco) in 1999, filmed by Emmy Award winning cinematographer Amy Marash (Bowers) for "Albuquerque Fresco - Inside Look" documentary. Also presented - "Dolphin Fresco" Parts 1 and 2 - a step-by-step journal of the Dolphin Fresco by iLia Anossov,

The Albuquerque Fresco by Ilia Anossov is a paradigm of a brilliant modern fresco. Its technique is on the Grande scale. Viewing it is reminiscent of watching a gigantic film, for this fresco incorporates not only cinematic techniques, and reminders of the most brilliant art, but also resounds of the painting of late modern artists with a flair for whimsy, like Jean Miro, and Paul Klee. At the same time there are images and techniques which evoke paintings of early masters.

]]> It is as though the fresco artists have honed a living and breathing creature Fresco is public art rather than "elite" art. It is also a common effort of the artist, plasterer and others involved in the process. Frescoes created for all people to see and enjoy, and do not require extensive education to understand and analyze their significance. Granted there will always be scholars and art critics who take apart every art work, but frescos are made for the collective enjoyment. Frescos depict the most cherished cultural aspects of any civilization in their attitudes.

Dolphin Fresco, a buon (true) fresco by iLia Anossov (fresco). An "ansamble" of classic fresco technique Pompeian plaster methods and mild influence of art deco. The foam on the waters surface seems to reference the dramatic movement of water in The Big Wave by Japanese artist Hokusai Katsuchika. A boarder of geometric spirals seems to echo the shapes of the walls below and adds a Mediterranean touch to the work.

The composition is fitting as the house is so close to the Pacific Ocean that an open window provides the viewer with the sound of crashing waves. The blue sky and intense blue-green ocean of the background in this composition complements the color scheme of the rest of the bathroom which incorporates light hues of green and blue and the stark white of fine marble.

Presented by http://www.FrescoSchool.org

To subscribe, please go to Fresco School Video Channel:
http://www.YouTube.com/FrescoSchool

GuelphMercury.com - arts - Italy's forgotten master

2008-12-13T21:51:50Z

Blake Gopnik
The Washington Post

PARMA, ITALY

Until about a hundred years ago, there were five godfathers of Western art: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian -- and Correggio.

Correggio, possibly the greatest artist we've almost forgotten.

Correggio: Born Antonio Allegri in about 1489, in the northern Italian hamlet of Correggio (whence his nickname), dead by 1534 and a favourite of art lovers for the next three and a half centuries. And now, virtually unknown.

]]> Correggio's first full-scale retrospective (such has been his decline) opened this fall in venues across Parma, the wealthy little city where he did his most important work and where he died, in his artistic prime, of a sudden fever. The exhibition's aim is to bring its local hero back to life. That's not far-fetched: A show in Milan did it for Caravaggio, back in 1951 when he was far more thoroughly forgotten than Correggio has ever been.

Full Article at:
http://news.guelphmercury.com/arts/article/415654

more about Carreggio:
http://truefresco.org/bookshop/Correggio.html

Posters:
http://www.truefresco.org/postershop/index.php?search=correggio