Jul 19, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
Having made dozens of portable frescoes on panels, I thought it was high time I tackled an actual wall. Fresco is, after all, a mural technique. Brick is the best and my studio building is made of brick. Unfortunately, it means working outside, which is not the best...
Nov 17, 2016 | BLOG, FRESCO
Sgraffito is an old technique which involves scratching through a layer of lime plaster to reveal a different coloured layer below. It is a bit like scraperboard! It has been used since classical times and was popularised in the 15th and 16th centuries and again...
Feb 15, 2016 | BLOG, FRESCO
I have become slightly obsessed with the frescoes at Pompeii and Herculaneum. I have never been there, but have got hold of some books with excellent reproductions. There has been some debate about the techniques they used to get the smooth, polished surface. I won’t...
Jan 15, 2016 | BLOG, FRESCO
I am currently trying to learn more about fresco. Don’t ask me why. I know it’s crazy: it’s time consuming, tricky, the materials are not readily available in Scotland, the climate is too damp. But, I can’t help it: I am fascinated by the technique. It involves mixing...
Oct 13, 2015 | BLOG, FRESCO
I have recently returned from a wonderful week in Bosa, Sardinia. I attended a fresco painting course led by Carey Mortimer. I have been interested in the technique of buon fresco for about 10 years. Having tried various experiments in my studio, I felt it was time...
