Contemporary Fresco Gazette

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

PDPA - Professional Decorative Painters Assocation

2008-12-11T17:53:54Z

When most other organizations are asking you to spend your hard earned money to spend even more later in the year, the PDPA is asking you to spend money to make more money and grow your business. The PDPA works on two fronts; one is to help the people within the industry through our initiatives and the other is to work on promoting decorative painting as a whole to new clients and other industries like the design, architectural and building trades.

Our local chapter focus is to get you in front of new customers and sell more jobs. In 2008, the PDPA Colorado chapter hosted our first professional decorative painters exhibition with brilliant success. Sheri Hunt, Colorado president, led the way with an amazing show of what decorative painting is really about.

Capitalizing on the Colorado chapterʼs momentum, the Texas chapter hosted a decorative painting exhibition at the Austin AIA headquarters under the leadership of
Catherine Oʼ Toole. With over 100 designers and Architects in attendance, members displayed their talents to the public and building trades communities. 2009 will bring more exhibitions and fundraisers designed to help our members find new clients and grow in their success as professional decorative painters.

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Being a member of the PDPA means... you are dedicated to professionalism and you take pride in your work. The PDPA is building the foundation for a stronger industry and it is all thanks to membership support from people like you. With a strong Code of Ethics in place and Education Standards passed in 2008, the PDPA is now moving towards performance standards and certification in these standards to give recognition and reward to those that have worked hard in their career. This will lead us down the path to where many people believe we need to go, and ultimately open more opportunities for job prospects, building stronger decorative painting companies.

Being a member of the PDPA means... that you are committed to this industry goal and you support the people working hard to make this happen. Our standards are not easy to meet, and in fact they are the most stringent in our industry, but when you step up to the task, know that you can wear the PDPA badge with pride.
Representing the diversity of people within our industry, PDPA members pride themselves on sharing with others and helping everyone within our industry grow. The PDPA is all inclusive in every aspect and fair minded with a single vision to elevate our trade.

What to expect as a member

Once you sign up as a PDPA member, you have become part of a community of like minded people. At every level of membership, the PDPA offers benefits described in guidebook.

Student members receive a welcome letter, this membership guidebook, a
membership card and additional items listed as benefits. Student members also get
the opportunity to be involved and gain access to the resources that the PDPA
provides.

Professional members receive a welcome letter, this membership guidebook, a
membership card, additional items listed as benefits, and a renewal packet every
year. Pros can also expect an email requesting their bio, picture, contact info,
qualifications, and references.

We post this information on the website and announce the newest members to the community. All members receive an email news letter once per month with the latest industry news, new members list, project progress, volunteer opportunities, and an update as to what the Board is up to. Once a year we send out the "What weʼve accomplished this year and what comes next" poster and your invitation to the annual retreat.

On the PDPA website, we posts at least one new podcast per month about new techniques and one about how to take better advantage of your PDPA membership.
Manufacturers receive all of the above plus a full listing on the PDPA website with
unlimited pages, free placement on the PDPA Podcast, access to our professional
and student members, sponsorship opportunities, a position on our advisory
committee, and opportunities for interaction with our local communities and events.
School members receive all of the same benefits and opportunities plus access to
education studies, publications, and the opportunity to become a PDPA accredited
school.

PDPA welcomes paint stores and other industry associations to become involved with the PDPA family helping us grow our industry. In the guidebook, you will find more detailed descriptions about your PDPA membership and you can always contact PDPA with ideas and suggestions of how to make the PDPA a better organization to serve you and achieve its vision.

download PDPA Membership Guidebook here:
PDPA Membership guidebook

Did Michelangelo Have a Hidden Agenda? - WSJ.com

2008-11-17T07:02:05Z

Never mind the Da Vinci Code -- what about Michelangelo's secret messages? On the 500th anniversary of the artist's first climb up the ladder in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, a new book claims he embedded subversive messages in his spectacular frescoes -- not only Jewish, Kabbalistic and pagan symbols but also insults directed at Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work, and references to his own sexuality.

]]> First published in an English version in May by Harper One, "The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican," coauthored by Vatican docent Roy Doliner and Rabbi Benjamin Blech, is already in its second edition in Italy. It will be translated into 16 languages and released in the coming months in Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

A religious Jew who has guided visitors through the Vatican for nearly a decade, Mr. Doliner says his book is neither fiction nor an attack on the Catholic Church, but rather an attempt to reveal the universal connections between Christianity and Judaism. He says Michelangelo's frescoes also convey the tumultuous rivalry between the rulers of Florence and the Roman church at the time of their painting.

full article at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122661765227326251.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Darticle

Practice Lime Putty for Fresco Plastering

2008-11-06T20:17:33Z

To gain experience in plastering at a minimal cost it is possible to prepare a "Practice Lime Putty" from common Type-S Hydrated Construction Lime.

Type-S Hydrated Lime is manufactured from Dolomitic Limestone (Dolomitic limestone contains 35 to 46 percent magnesium carbonate).

Being a great lime to practice fresco plaster application techniques, this lime is NOT suitable for the actual painting in fresco due to fast setting and poor adhesion/binding of colors and efforescence on the color layer. However it is widely used in construction and is available at very low cost almost at any building supplies retailer.

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Contemporary construction lime expert, Margaret Thompson (Ph.D., Technical Manager, National Building Construction, Chemical Lime Company) states:

"...In the today's plaster and masonry industries in the United States, Type S hydrated lime is used almost exclusively. In 1977 in the United States, no more than 2% of the building market used pulverized quicklime (Boynton, 1980) and the remaining 98% used hydrated lime. Of the 98% that used hydrated lime, over 95% are estimated to have used Type S hydrated lime. These values are not much different today...

Lime putty was progressively being displaced by hydrated lime, which was more convenient and already slaked (Lovewell, 1975). For commercial use, quicklime slaked to hydrated lime was more attractive than quicklime slaked to lime putty. Transporting water was and is expensive.

There were probably 20 producers or more at the time, working one regionally-extensive geologic unit: the Lockport (Dolomite) Formation of the Niagara Group, which is middle Silurian in age.

...In 1918, Charles and Irving Warner of Willmington, Delaware submitted a patent titled "Method of Hydrating Dolomitic or Magnesian Lime", which states:

"Our invention relates to a process of hydrating dolomitic or magnesian quick-lime and has for its object to secure, as far as possible, the hydration of a material or part or all of the magnesium oxide, in addition to the hydration of all the calcium oxide in order to secure additional strength in mortars made from such hydrated limes. A further object is to maintain the plasticity and for working under the trowel of mortar made from magnesian lime...

Although the Warner (1918) process was available, it was the Corson Pressure Hydrator, patented in 1943, that was the most significant technological advance. It gave the lime industry the ability to make sound and highly-plastic hydrated lime (when a putty) from dolomitic quicklime in a continuous process. This innovation drove the definition of Type S hydrated lime as being "special". Hydration did not occur at atmosphere, but rather at high pressure.

-- Margaret Thompson -"WHY IS TYPE S HYDRATED LIME SPECIAL?" International Building Lime Symposium 2005 Orlando, Florida, March 9 -11, 2005

It is possible to locate Type-N Hydrated Lime - "N" stands for "Normal", nowadays it is mainly produced for agriculture as a mineral supplement for the fields. Type - N Hydrated Lime is very high in calcium (95%) which would be ideal for fresco, however the resulting plaster is weak and takes ages to fully cure.

For your convenience, a short video from the FrescoSchool.org demonstrating the process of making "Practice Lime Putty" from Type-S Hydrated Lime is available at Fresco School's Video Channel at http://www.YouTube.com/FrescoSchool free of charge.

The best for fresco painting - High Calcium Slaked Lime Putties are difficult to find locally (in USA), at the FrescoSchool.org we use imported from Italy "Calce Florentine" - High Calcium Lime putty sold by the www.FrescoShop.com at the www.TrueFresco.com/frescoshop

Lime Putty is the main ingredient of the buon fresco painting. Preparation of painting surfaces for fresco involves the application of plaster of increasingly finer texture.

The first step (which in nowadays mainly done by the factories) is the heating (calcination) of marble or limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) at 800-900ßC to make porous lime (calcium oxide, CaO).

HEAT + CaCO3(s) ----> CaO(s) + CO2(g)

To form the plaster for fresco work, the lime is "slaked." The slaking process, which requires the addition of 2 or 3 molecules of water for each molecule of lime, yields calcium paste or lime putty, an aqueous gel of thin crystals of calcium hydroxide.

CaO(s) + H2O(l) ----> Ca(OH)2(s) + HEAT

Excess water acts as a lubricant so that the crystals slide easily over one another. Historically, lime was slaked in pits or troughs over a period of at least six months to obtain lime putty of the desired consistency. Artisans in Michelangelo's time use plaster aged for as long as ten years. Fresco plaster itself is made from the slaked lime and varying portions of sand or marble dust. Generally, walls are plastered with several layers of such fresco plaster in order of decreasing proportions and particle size of sand. Hardening of the fresco plaster on the wall includes several simultaneous physical and chemical process: the absorption of water into the wall, evaporation of water from the surface, and the carbonation of the slaked lime by carbon dioxide, CO

Ca(OH)2(s) + CO2(g) ----> CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)

Only high calcium lime putty should be used for fresco painting, the best would be lime putty produced from white marble. I have tried a wide variety of limes during the last 11 years and concluded that even the high calcium limestone is quite inferior to the white marble lime putty in it's plasticity and absorption of color.

The actual heating process also affects the quality of lime putty. Ideally Marble, Calcite (crystalline calcium carbonate) or Limestone for fresco should be burned in wood or electric kilns. Coal and gas burning kilns, the least expensive methods widely used for industrial production of hydrated limes, result in lime putty in which calcium hydroxide is partially changed to calcium sulfate (gypsum) which interferes with setting of the plaster consequently affecting the painting and color absorption.

iLia Anossov (fresco)
www.FrescoSchool.org

	"Buon Fresco Foundations: V1 - FRESCO PLASTER" Watch this video for detailed, REAL-TIME tutorial on fresco plaster preparation and application. To purchase this DVD click here

Fresco School Video Channel at YouTube.com/FrescoSchool

2008-10-28T18:30:14Z

Los Angeles based Fresco School (FrescoSchool.org) is proud to announce it's new Video Channel at www.YouTube.com/FrescoSchool

The new channel features video clips and video tutorials on fresco painting technique. Fresco Video Channel opens with the release of the detailed video tutorial on fresco plastering tools.

"Fresco Painting is the Mother of all Arts and as the channel progresses a variety of "YouTube size" art education videos will be added, including cartoon (drawing for fresco) painting, composition, color and other disciplines of fine art, decorative art and painting with focus on applied arts." - said iLia Anossov (fresco), founder of the Fresco School

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

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

For class schedulle and other info please visit:
http://frescoschool.org/calendar/

Lime Putty, Putty Lime, Pit Lime, Quicklime, Slaked Lime Fresco Lime - what is it?

2008-10-28T04:37:01Z

Lime Putty is the main ingredient of the buon fresco painting.

Preparation of painting surfaces for fresco involves the application of plaster of increasingly finer texture.

The first step (which in nowadays mainly done by the factories) is the heating (calcination) of marble or limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) at 800-900ßC to make porous lime (calcium oxide, CaO).

HEAT + CaCO3(s) ----> CaO(s) + CO2(g)

CaO(s) + H2O(l) ----> Ca(OH)2(s) + HEAT

Ca(OH)2(s) + CO2(g) ----> CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)

]]> Only high calcium lime putty should be used for fresco painting, the best would be lime putty produced from white marble. I have tried a wide variety of limes during the last 11 years and concluded that even the high calcium limestone is quite inferior to the white marble lime putty in it's plasticity and absorption of color.

"Marble, limestone and calcite are all forms of crystalline calcium carbonate, which is quarried and stacked in lime kilns, where it's carbon dioxide is driven off by heating. The result is quicklime or caustic lime (calcium oxide).

The stone fragments retain heir original shape throughout the burning process and only become white and a little lighter...

.. Quicklime is slaked with water, a process producing much heat during which the stones increase in volume and eventually disintegrate. The resulting slaked lime or calcium hydroxide is a voluminous white powder that can be packed in sacks and conveniently shipped to building sites. If during the slaking, however, more water is added than is necessary for the formation of calcium hydroxide, a pulp results that is stored in pits for as long as possible, and therefore is sometimes called pit lime.

Not all kinds of lime can be used for fresco painting. Lump hydraulic lime and dolomitic lime are quite unsuitable. Only white lime meets the necessary requirements. As quicklime, it should only contain 95% CaO and less then 5% magnesia."
Kurt Welhte "The Materials and Techniques of Painting" © 1975 Prentice Hall Press.

The High Calcium Slaked Lime Putties are difficult to find locally (in USA), at the FrescoSchool.org we use imported from Italy "Calce Florentine" - High Calcium Lime putty sold by the www.FrescoShop.com at the www.TrueFresco.com/frescoshop

iLia Anossov (fresco)

www.FrescoSchool.org

	"Buon Fresco Foundations: V1 - FRESCO PLASTER" Watch this video for detailed, REAL-TIME tutorial on fresco plaster preparation and application. To purchase this DVD click here