Nicola Vigini's Grottessca DVDs

[Pat]

Red Pompeii Grottessca

On this first in our series of instructional DVDs on painting Grottessca, instructor Nicola Vigini will teach students how to create an exquisite panel in the style of the ancient motifs found in Pompeii using several tools, materials and methods including one of Nicola’s custom-designed 3-layer stencils. Learning the techniques presented on this program will surely add value to your portfolio and your decorative painting business! Stencil is not included with dvd. To purchase stencil please visit www.viginistudios.com.



Renaissance Fresco Grottessca

On this second installment of our series of instructional DVDs on painting Grottessca, instructor Nicola Vigini will teach students how to create two luxurious panels using several tools, materials & unique methods, including Nicola’s custom-designed 2 and 3-layer stencils. Learning and practicing the techniques presented on this program will surely add value to your portfolio and your decorative painting business!

[KathyFakesIt]

abso-freakin-lutely!

I'm taking both of these classes at SALI - I can't wait!

[covergirlfaux]

Pat, I need jobs to support my DVD cravings!

[Elena]

WOW I love grottesca!

Elena

[cleta]

oh, me too... I was trying to explain & describe grottesca to a friend of mine from L.A., who only likes modern art and he was so turned off by the word "grottesca". We weren't where I had access to pictures (one being worth a thousand words), and I didn't yet know the history of the word - that it literally came from the word "grotto" and referred to the paintings found in the grottos of Nero.

oh well - I love the grottesca style, anyway....would put them all over my house if I could...maybe incorporate some basketballs and baseballs into the pendants and swags so that my husband would like them, too. Maybe put Magic's face in one of them with little net-like doodads on either side.....like a contemporary grottesca.

Am (im)patiently waiting for my second Nicola dvd!

[lynne]

i just watched the red one-
really fabulous result and very easy to follow!

i especially like how the stencil layers are designed to cover the connectors of the previous layers, so no hand-connecting needs to be done.

have a few questions:

on what kind of support can this be painted? i assume the plaster ground necessitates a rigid support- ie right on the wall or some kind of hard panel?

when "pigment" is mentioned, do you mean a paint of some kind? since an acrylic glaze was used over the plaster, i'm assuming an acrylic paint be used to do the ornamentation?

i appreciate that no specific product line is mentioned, but some specifics about appropriate materials would be helpful.

i.e. - with what kind of wax is the panel finished at the end? can one use beeswax or any kind of paste, or is there some kind of special venetian plaster wax?

[Pat]

Hey Lynn, I know that Nicola is in Italy rite now teaching. I will make sure he sees this when he gets back though. I just didn't want you to feel snubbed or anything.

[lynne]

thanks pat-

if anyone can email him--- his site is on the fritz right now.
mine was down all weekend, and i could do anything about it til i got home

[Vigini Studios, Inc.]

Hi Lynne,
Is 2 years long enough for an answer??!!! We never saw this but would love to answer your questions.

This technique is a mix of lime putty and synthetic plaster and it can be done rather delicately on canvas with touch ups expected after installation. It is obviously better on hard surfaces as you mentioned and not necessarily 100% smooth.

Regarding pigment, either natural pigments with an acrylic binder or Fauxcreme colors thinned out with water. The idea is more of a heavy water color effect, close to real fresco in feeling. We used Venetian Gem Ruby for this particular panel mixed with real lime putty.

We really like the Old World Venetian Wax for its clarity but Liberon is also a great option, basically a mineral base.

Nicola just finished an interview with PWC magazine coming out in November describing the history of marmorino and venetian plaster where some intersting plaster concepts are discussed. A whole chapter can be written just on the plaster mix.

Better late than never!!
Leslie Vigini