Fresco in the Limelight

2005 - Susan Prentice and I ready to paint fresco

I have a deep love affair with true fresco painting. This means that the artist applies her or his brush and pure pigments onto a smoothly troweled field of lime plaster so that as the plaster dries, the pigment sinks into it and becomes permanent. It is an ancient technique of wall painting that has long lasting inner beauty.
After taking a few classes in this medium, and inherited a source of the main ingredient, slacked lime, I was ready to keep going in the company of my good buddy, Susan Prentice. We met in a fresco class taught by a wonderfully soulful painter, Jose Gallindo who opened up the world of fresco with a Mexican twist. He had been taught the art very early on and was dedicated to expanding this esoteric art form into our modern world. He is now living and practicing his art in Mexico City and we both miss his gentle way of working in the style of Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo.

Our teacher, Jose Gallindo and I at the Legion of Honor fresco demo in 2003.

Jose, Susan and I had a very special day at the S.F. Legion of Honor Museum when we were invited to do a demo of Fresco Painting and give the audience a chance to try out the technique. I did a portrait of Reina, the model in Mexican dress and in this photo, I am doing the sketch that was transferred to wet plaster before I did the painting.
Here is a link to a video (in Spanish) of Jose doing a bit of fresco painting and telling a story that I will need to have translated soon.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc99Y9yYDO0