Venetian Plaster

The Trilogy of Courses - The Essential 3

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As seen in Washington Home & Design Magazine Fall 2005.

The Trilogy series involves intensive and comprehensive training in the Essential 3 Decorative Art forms that a professional Artist must master to participate in any discriminating team of architect, contractor and designer.

TRILOGY COMPONENT CLASSES:

Decorative Painting and Faux finishing- The 4 Most Essential High End Finishes
Gold gilding & Metal Leafing for Interior DESIGN - The 4 Essential Decorative Gold & Metal Leaf Applications
Italian Plaster Intensive. Venetian Plaster as it ought to be. The Buon Fresco Venetian Plaster technique is a show stopper! You will never compete on the same level again.

Students prepare sample boards of each of the demonstrated Decorative Art techniques graduating with Buon Fresco accreditation - and professional boards ready for presentation to architects, interior designers, custom builders, restaurants, business owners and homeowners.

Scroll down for course descriptions, photos of actual work and to read comments from grads.

THE DECORATIVE PAINT AND FAUX FINISHING CURRICULUM - Finishes Taught Are:

SCUMBLE GLAZING - A decorative paint technique that is eminently useful and utterly beautiful. It may be a lovely undulating finish for walls or the subtle compliment bumping up to a Venetian Plaster focal wall . Scumble Glazing is appropriate for walls, ceilings, moldings and cabinet interiors; It is also excellent as a base for Faux Leather. May be achieved with Oil or with Water Based glazes. Buon Fresco used Watermax^TM - A Water based Glaze to 'Scumble' Finish the Saudi Arabian Ambassador's residence in Virginia . [Visit the Tool & Product Page to see Watermax Glaze]
STRIE: A Faux Finish that simulates Fabric - A perfect compliment to expensive fabrics, Strie is appropriate for Living Rooms, Bedrooms and other rooms where elegance is called for. Strie also may be used to finish Furniture, Trim and wainscoting. No discriminating portfolio should be without it. [See also wainscoting photo below]
FROTTAGE: This ULTRA high-end Oil-Glaze Stone-Finish is the basis for Faux-Travertine; Faux Limestone and Stone Blocks of the same. Frottage is used to achieve a highly realistic Limestone or Distempered Surface - and is ideal for 2-story hallways and tall ceilings; This Faux Finish is best achieved with Oil Glazes only.
DAMASK STRIPES: Stripes have garnered the Buon Fresco studio more magazine pages than anything else we do with the exception of certain Venetian Plaster designs. Perfect Color and Value assignment and Geometric Precision has everything to do with the astounding success of this classic finish. See below

Photos below depict finishes described in order above:

Beginning Clockwise Left Photos show: Faux Damask Stripes, Scumble Glaze for Leather, Green Strie, Frottage in Blocks, Damask Stripes, Strie in Gold; Strie in Marigold, and Strie Glaze to accentuate the features of Wainscotting below a Stenciled Venetian Plaster.

These are the featured finishes that you will learn in the Decorative Painting I Intensive Course. Though we highly recommend beginning with The COLOR INTENSIVE COURSE as a way to achieve the Color precision that is shown in these beautifully finished rooms.

THE GOLD GILDING & METAL LEAFING CURRICULUM - Finishes Taught Are:

Flat Gilding - For Ceilings, Walls, Murals, Paintings etc.
Ribbon Gilding - For Ribbon Lines on Architectural Moldings, Room Trim and Frame detailing.. .
Ornate Gilding - For Detailed Frames, Furniture and Architectural Details.
Tip Gilding - For Trim Relief , Architectural Elements and Detailed Moldings.
Flash Gilding - For Basket Weave or other such detailed Trim; Also for Limited Budget assignments - Flash gilding provides all the glamour of Gold with little of the high cost labor or leaf.

The Academy is proud to have been selected by the Architects of the Capitol to train their Government Craftsmen to Gild the Supreme Court and Capitol Building.

Above ^ Crown Molding Ribbon Gilded with 22 K Gold & Faux Damask Stripes on Walls

The Gold Leaf Intensive Course teaches Oil Gilding though the use of both water based and solvent based sizes will be taught. To provide the most accurate training, students will be working with genuine architectural elements provided by J P Weaver Ornaments and genuine 22K - 23K Gold Leaf & Ribbon Gold.

Below - Mirror Frame Finished in 23Karat

Photos Clockwise from Below Left: Ceiling Gilding, Ornate Gilding, Ribbon Gilding, Antique Gilding, Basket Gilding

Below - Fire Red Venetian Plaster with Gilded Ribbon on Crown Molding

VENETIAN PLASTER INTENSIVE I - COURSE CURRICULUM -

For Years now the Venetian Plaster Intensive Course has been the Academy's most popular offering. Since Buon Fresco introduced 'Venetian Plaster' to our repertoire several years ago, this extraordinary wall finish material quickly became the most requested of all of our offerings.

NOTE: During instructional segments of The 'Buon Fresco� Method' of Italian Plaster application, you will work with the genuine Italian Plasters that Buon Fresco has determined provide the finest overall result. A genuine Italian Plaster product may be distinguished from the artificially named 'Venetian Plasters', sold at any number of home product stores, by the genuine polish which results in a 'mirror' like shine and has remarkable depth. Whereas artificial so called 'Venetian Plaster' is 'shiny' in the same way that a high gloss paint is shiny, but fails to provide the true 'reflective' surface of genuine Italian Plaster and has no depth. The visible difference is profound.

There is no wall finish material introduced to the USA in the last 100 years as exciting as Italian Plaster. To learn more about the material, turn to the description page: 'Venetian Plaster DEFINED' Visit the Venetian Plaster Course Description Page for more detailed information. In the Venetian Plaster I Intensive Class you will learn:

How to Precisely Color your Custom Plaster Mix.
The Buon Fresco technique^TMfor a Mirror Smooth Plaster Application.
The 'NO BLADE MARK' application
The NO SANDING EVER application
Polishing and Finishing Techniques

How to Damask Stripe the Plaster Wall
Waxing Techniques
Applications of Mica Powders
Job Site application Hints
Surface Preparation
Focal Point Walls
Selling Your Venetian Plaster Work

Above ^ Perfect Damask Stripes in Moon Gold Finished with 22 K Moon Gold on Crown

Examine the photos, in the Intensive Decorative Painting Trilogy you will learn to reproduce these results of Mirror Polished Plaster, Flawless Damask Stripes and Perfect Gilded Ribbons. Just add Color and C' est Bon!

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See Schedule Page for class dates

When you are ready to take the leap to an exciting career in the arena of high end interior finishing or just to advance your current repertoire, contact the Academy to register by phone 1.888.637.3726 or email.

COMMENTS ON THE FEBRUARY INTENSIVE TRILOGY FROM THE GRADUATES:

"It was like opening up a Jewel Box!" F.E

"The course added tremendously to my portfolio." L.P.

"I LOVE Gold Leafing! and it was difficult to find where to learn it - Finally I DID!" M.B.

"ALL of the information was important to me". C.O.

"The Gold Leaf Class will add very high end finishing to my portfolio." F.E.

"The advantage of custom mixing my own colors will certainly set me apart". L.P.

"I will benefit professionally a LOT, because Color is the beginning of everything with Decorative Finishes." M.B.

"The presentation of the color boards are very professional and beautiful." L.P.

"That's EVERYTHING! Color is what will make the difference!" F.E.

"The technique you taught us for Venetian Plaster is fabulous". L.P

The technique you taught in this class will help me get the best clientelle! M.H.

"I didn't want the class to STOP". M.B.

"I enjoyed the class enormously". C.S.

The Class was wonderful." G.G.

'LOVE IT!" F.E.

"WONDERFUL! And I loved meeting Tom Warnock!" L.P. [Editor's Note: Victoria Bingham, the instructor of the Intensive Trilogy, took time off Friday morning, February 20th, to be interviewed by HGTV for a Spring segment of 'Dream Builders'. The students received a surprise and a treat in the form of a substitute teacher stepping in to instruct that morning's session of 'The Gold Leafing Intensive'. The substitute was none other than Tom Warnock, owner of the internationally famous ' Warnock Studios '! .}

FINALLY, WHEN ASKED IF THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE CLASS TO OTHER DECORATIVE PAINTERS...

'ABSOLUTELY!, but.. in consideration of competition, I'd be a bit reserved".

Definitely! Because of the Finished Product!

"Honestly no. Because I would prefer to remain unique in my area."

"I would give a great reference of you because I liked it, but I would want to keep it a secret in Puerto Rico where I live.

"YES! To anyone that is not in my area".

YES! If they are not in my area".

ABSOLUTELY!

"Most definitely!"

"Definitely!"

If you think the graduates are onto something good, you are right! For upcoming classes please refer to the training schedules as posted on the instruction pages of this web site. Trilogy classes of: Decorative Painting, Gold & Metal Leafing and The Venetian Plaster Intensive, may be taken on individual weekends as scheduled.

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BUON FRESCO & THE ACADEMY OF WALL ARTISTRY

6442 Overlook Drive, Alexandria VA 22312

Studio: 703.333-2720 Toll Free: 1.888.637.3726

The studio/school is located just outside of the Nation's Capitol in Northern Virginia.

We are close to Reagan National and Dulles International Airports.

Please be advised that all of the images on the Buon Fresco web site enjoy copyright protection and that United States Federal law provides severe penalties for copyright infringement. Reproduction, distribution, or transmission of the copyrighted materials on this site is strictly prohibited without the written permission of Buon Fresco, Inc.