Fox Friday: Buon Fresco Painting

This workshop will introduce participants to the ancient technique of buon fresco painting, a method refined during the Italian Renaissance and popularized in the United States by Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry mural. In buon fresco, pigments are applied to freshly laid plaster. As the plaster dries, the pigment chemically bonds with the surface, creating a permanent, stone-like finish.

In this one-day workshop, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of the fresco technique, including the materials, tools, and processes. They will have the opportunity to create their own small frescoes, gaining hands-on experience with this historic art form.

Instructor: Michael Nichols is a visual artist specializing in contemporary applications of traditional painting and drawing techniques, with a focus on buon fresco and metalpoint. His work has been exhibited internationally and across the U.S., at venues such as the Boston Center for the Arts, the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, and the Huntsville Museum of Art. His art has appeared in New American Paintings (Open Studio Press), International Painting Annual (Manifest Press), and publications such as Gateway to Drawing (Thames & Hudson), and Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing, a Complete Guide to the Medium (Routledge).