Grassello

     Being a self-employed artist ranks up there somewhere between Popcorn Specialist and one of those guys seen foraging for who-knows-what with a metal detector.
     I've been a full-time Decorative Artist for almost twenty years now and the roller coaster ride has been truly something to behold. I've made a grand in a day and less than that in a month. The recent economic tsunami has not exactly been smooth sailing when you're working in the luxury trade.
     So, my pal Sue has come to the rescue of late. She's on a roll and has been hiring me and another artist. Sue loves traditional mediums and is a specialist with lime plaster. I first learned this craft from her almost a decade ago. It can  be grueling and tough on the old limbs. Unlike many modern water-based wall finishes, these plasters are - more than anything else - extremely subtle. They don't "shout". They hold their ground....beautifully and elegantly.
     We just finished a master bedroom using Grassello, which is a finer-grained version of Venetian Plaster. This finish has a plaster stencil embedded between two coats of Grassello. Then a burnished wax finish is applied.
     Lime plaster is a centuries-old technique. It can be used outdoors. The layers chemically bond in a tough-as-hell surface. I like that it is so old. In my studio I'm doing paintings now in acrylic rather than the oil I've used for decades. I like it. But I love the ancient stuff, too. Old is good.