Dear Gary,

Thanks for your reply, it is really helpful.
Mexico, eh? We know some of those problems already since this business I mentioned ships large carved wooden architectural pieces from Nepal and there are indeed so many things to keep on top of....and they are ever changing!

As a reference to your comment about the Indian plaster artists I am copying the following for you which is the answer to my question to a Nepalese artist re: if he has ever done fresco....I thought you might get a kick out of it even though it doesn't sound like fresco in the end anyway....

Ist Method

"This is most traditional method. It needs black soil, coarse rice bran and cow
stool. The mixing ratio is know to the concerned technicians. They have to be mixed
together and keep is aside for one week. Then again mix the mixture well, prepare
paste of the composition and then paste it on the wall like cement. When it dries,
again paste another coat of fine mixure of black soil and cow stool for smooth
finishing. When it dries, then paint the wall with white lime. Again when it dries,
you can start your painting with stone colour. Alternatively, when the fine coat
dries, you can start painting without painting white wash. Such fesco paintings are
very very fine and remains for many centuries if they are properly cared. In Nepal,
most of the fesco painting is done in this way. Still we can see a lot of such
painting. But they are getting detoriated due to lack of proper care and maintenance."

Thanks again for your advice, and I am sure I will be asking for more shortly.....

By the way, you don't happen to be in the Northwest do you?

Karla