Fresco is probably the oldest form of painting, its history dating to antiquity. It derives its name from the word “fresh” as the pigments are applied to freshly laid mortar, a mixture of lime and sand or marble dust. Painting must be completed while the mortar is wet, in one day’s work or “giornata” in italian. And since every stroke is visible in this highly transparent medium, work must be both quick and accurate. (Michaelangelo is believed to have chiseled off an entire section of the Sistine Chapel he was dissatisfied with in order to repaint.)
I first studied in a one-day course at Rutgers University. Further study led me to New York’s Parsons School of Design with Sheilah Rechtschaffer. I continue to research and practice the technique when time allows.
