The Fresco Process

Fresco is one of the oldest forms of painting and has played a key role in human artistic expression. It relies on a reaction between mineral pigments a lime / sand mixture resembling cement (the intonico). Once the intonaco is applied, the artist has only a short time to paint before it dries. Mistakes are hard to fix, and the work must be completed in one sitting. This challenges the idea of perfection, as the medium demands compromise.

Everything I know about fresco I learned from my father. In our process, the painting is made on a concrete wall, then torn off and glued to canvas. This transfer is unpredictable, often times entire sections of the painting is always lost.