Ercolano....

Ercolano is  modern Italian for Herculaneum and is a town located at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. You can see from this thermal shot the size of the volcano.

This side view shows the veins of rich red and orange oxides formed from volcanic action. Hematite and other minerals form the bright veins of ercolano pigments.

Ercolano red is a beautiful rich oxide composed of hematite, clay, chalk and silica.

Ercolano red gives depth and warmth when used in traditional egg tempera.

When studying with Carolina d'Ayala Valva last month, we used ercolano red as one of our main colors of our palette.

Ercolano orange is not as strong in hematite, thus the color is not as red. It is also mined in the quarries in northern Italy -product of the volcanic action from Mount Vesuvius...

Ercolano blue is , to me, the most prized as it is much harder to find. It is deeper than sky blue , almost a turquoise.

I just received over five kilos (bought all that the supplier had!) This will be shared with a friend who introduced me to the color many years ago. I will now have to find new suppliers-here is one and another if you care to work with the magic of ercolano!

Carolina d'Ayala Valva-Artist of Grottesca

I recently had the pleasure of spending a week with Carolina d'Ayala Valva in Orlando learning the techniques of true Italian grottesca.

Jeff Huckaby hosted a class with Carolina at his Orlando studio. We began with transferring the design by rubbing pigment onto the back. Working with egg tempera, we then painted the design with a monochrome of raw umber.

Each step is precise and could be a finished work in itself. All shadows are put in to guide when the color is added.

Layers and layers of thin washes of color are what make the egg tempera have depth and fusion of color.

The palette is chosen and colors begin to replace the monochrome.

Carolina works hard to demonstrate each step and checks constantly on each student on their progress.

After the color fusion, the magic begins with the detail strokes. These small. controlled strokes make it all come alive in the glint of a jewel or the curl of a leaf.

This is what made me seek out Carolina for the second time, to take another class with her. Her detail work is achieved only through discipline and consistant brush stroke.

If one step was left out, this beauty would not exist. Her panels are studies of the relation of color and the play of light.

Each student went home with a beautiful panel (produced by several 11 hour marathon days) that only a room full of "type A's" could create! (thanks Li for that quote)

Special thanks to Jeff Huckaby for thinking big enough to bring Carolina from Rome to teach this wonderful class. I think I have it figured out now!

For more information on Carolina and grottesca, click here and here.

Grottesca in San Antonio...

Grottesca was the buzz word in San Antonio this past week with the  arrival of Carolina D'Ayala Valva of Artelier studio of Rome.

Leslie and Nicola Vigini opened their studio for an intensive four day class with Carolina on the art of egg tempera grottesca. Leslie and Nicola operate an extremely creative studio in San Antonio and catered completely to the needs of each student.

Carolina designed a panel for the class including basic grottesca ornamentation. Once the design was transferred to canvas, the key color was applied in layered washes.

Classes went from 9:00 am till sometimes 7:00pm...the Viginis provided lunch daily and snacks for the marathon hours.

 Even Nicola  participated in painting the panel.

Tempera grassa or "fat" tempera (oil tempera) was the medium used for this class. The beauty of egg tempera is the building of layers of color to create depth and shading. 

Grottesca is known for it's attention to detail...in fantasy borders and intricate foliage. The tempera has a matte , organic feel which cannot be duplicated through other mediums.

This is my finished panel...I would not trade anything for the knowledge learned this week on this Renaissance process.  Thanks to Carolina for her dedication and patience with her students and special thanks to the Viginis for supporting the art of decoration!

The Art of Grottesca

Carolina d'Ayala Valva photo

Grotesque-is defined as the decorative art of combining human and animal forms with scrollwork and foliage. Like stringing pearls- urns, acanthus leaves, cherubs and other fanciful designs are stacked in a linear design or expanded horizontally knitted together through scrollwork. The work of Carolina d'Ayala Valva is synonymous with grottesca...  and her vibrant colors are achieved through the use of egg tempera paint.

Carolina d'Ayala Valva 

Carolina was born in Italy, but grew up in Brazil. She eventually ended up back in Italy where she and husband Valter Cipriani have an atelier,  L'Artelier, located in the center of Rome.

Carolina d'Ayala Valva photo

Can't make it to Rome? Carolina will teach an intense four day workshop at Vigini Studios in San Antonio Nov. 8-11. Nicola and Leslie Vigini are opening their studio for this wonderful event!

Carolina d'Ayala Valva photo

Her attention to detailed shading and use of layered tempera takes her work to a master level.

d'Ayala photo

Carolina's work is now available in book form!

She will be signing copies the night before the workshop begins.

Art+Works photo

A timeless technique, this is a detail from an arabesque done by 18th c artist Giovanni Volpato.

...and others carry on the tradition..Mario Bresciani  of Brescia, Italy is shown building the layers of paint to create the luminous finish.

 I will be attending Carolina's workshop in November and hope to bring back some of the knowledge these masters hold in their hands!  A few slots are left for the workshop....want to join me?