Bernie's Ramblings: Fresh on the trail of Ben Long's Frescoes...

Tami, Liv, and I are enjoying a week in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. The weather has been clear and cool... almost an enigma for July in the south. Between hiking, horseback riding, plein air painting, picnicking, and just relaxing... the three of us have manged to visit three of the Ben Long fresco locations on the Fresco Trail.

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First things first... What is a fresco?

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Fresco is a medium Michelangelo chose when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The technique involves mixing sand and lime, placing the mix on a wall and painting it while it's still wet. Fresco painting is a b tenuous art. So quickly does the bonding of the pigment to wet plaster take place that great skill and meticulous planning must be maintained in order to achieve the beautiful result.

source: Ben Long Fresco Trail brochure

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Check this out in detail here...
The Fresco Process

Fresco Definitions

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On with "fresh on the trail..."

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Stop #1... St Mary's Church, West Jefferson, NC

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This is one of my favorite spots on the trail... I have painted this small church on several occasions. Last Monday, Tami dropped me off to plein air paint while she and Liv went to the newly remodeled library in West Jefferson.

I found a nice shady spot under a huge Linden tree... 2 1/2 hours of peaceful recollections of my sister, Kristi, and savoring the beauty of this sacred spot.

Finished painting... "St Mary's"... 8x10" Oil on panel by Bernie Rosage Jr, en plein aire, July 20, 2009.

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Click HERE to see a painting I did of St Mary's in 2007.
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Stop #2... Holy Trinity Church, Glendale Springs, NC

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We have been going to Glendale Springs for years to visit George Bell's Greenhouse Crafts Shop... our favorite shop in the Blue Ridge. Our journey there would not be complete without a trip across the street to Holy Trinity and the frescoes there. I have painted this small church as well.

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Click HERE to see a painting I did of Holy Trinity in 2007.

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Stop #3... The City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium (CoMMA), Morganton, NC

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We had a cool visit with my cousin Pam (Aunt Pammie) who lives in Morganton. She took us on a tour of the town... what a beautiful town too. The highlight of our tour was the The City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium.. (CoMMA) for short. The crowning jewel of the CoMMA was the ceiling fresco by Ben Long titled... "Sacred Dance & The Muses". We actually sat on recliners on a revolving floor to view the awesome work... how cool is that! You can see Liv enjoying the fresco in this photo.

Liv, Pam, and Tami enjoying the comfort and the artwork.

Clio "Goddess of History", Urania "Goddess of Astronomy" , and Pegasus...

Thalia "Goddess of Comedy and Terpsichore "Goddess of Dance"...

Ben Long even included a self portrait in this work showing his exhaustion from his labors.

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These wonderful works and experiences only prove my theory that every artist and art patron already knows... There is nothing like viewing art in person!

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Thanks for listening to me ramble... feel free to comment...

Bernie

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Thanks Aunt Pammie for a GREAT day!