13 - 17 May 2024 (fully booked) I 23 -27 September 2024

price £400

Fresco is an ancient method of painting on to wet plaster requiring the artist to make a direct and immediate transmission of ideas and concepts. The magic of fresco is in the use of natural pigments which become pure, bright and luminous as they are fixed permanently into the surface – the painting becomes stone.

Starting with a presentation of the history of the medium, the course will cover the basic techniques of fresco painting including demonstrations. Students will work on terracotta tiles and plywood panels prepared with metal lath or hessian. They will learn how to prepare and lay the necessary three layers of plaster, to plan and draw out the design and to paint the fresco in stages using natural pigments. We will explore a full range of fresco painting from ancient to contemporary. Other more involved techniques can be covered as students require.

A wide selection of books is available to the students showing examples of ancient, medieval, Renaissance and contemporary painting.

"I spent a week in Bosa, a small, charming, and unpretentious little town for a week, to learn the basics of fresco painting with Carey and came away completely inspired, and impressed, by her love and knowledge of this ancient technique. Working in her studio, where there was plenty of her own fresco painting in evidence, I was able to experiment and create a couple of finished pieces, as well as several practice tiles. I was given lots of help and advice on the quite technical aspects of the subject, and she was always happy to discuss Art in general and fresco painting in particular. She really knows her stuff and I’d recommend this course to anyone thinking of trying the technique for the first time; I feel sure there would be plenty she could teach to old hands too." Lesley Kidd

"Carey 's fresco workshop will always be one of the most exceptional weeks in my life. The materials, the atmosphere of the studio and the good balance of learning a technique and the freedom to do your own thing was idyllic."                                                                                                                                                   Megan Players