I want to begin by saying that I am very happy to have found this forum, it's really wonderful!

To begin with I have a arts background in painting, pottery and drawing. I studied recently in Florence and learned the technique of fresco making. I would really like to do this on a large scale. Since my drawings always tend to get big. I was taught in Italy to make the frescoes on a small scale, on pre-fab plaster boards. From there we removed them and glued them to 1/2 inch wooden boards that are easy to carry. I also dabbled a bit overthere on restoration of frescos.

I have in mind a project that I would like to make on a exterior wall, that is not in the sun or receive rain. The wall is concrete with exterior paint. What is the best application I can give this wall to do the fresco on?
1-Do I have to build some sort of frame around the door where the fresco will be?
2-If the frame is up, preparing the wall with lime and sand is that enough?

In Italy, we used lime that is 5 years old. The lime that is sold here is not. Is there something I should do to prepare the lime that is sold here?

I've read about the sand posts: do you think soaking the sand i water for days will remove the salt? I live in Miami and everything here is salty and humid, not the ideal for fresco making but I think I can do it.

I purchased all of my pigments in Italy so I have that, my problem is just getting started, preparing the wall, and the technique of plastering. After that I should be alright. If someone can please help me with this, i would be most appreciative.

Thank You Very Much,
Victoria Clemente in Miami

Hi Victoria!
If the wall is "free standing" - not buried under the earth on any side, than you can line it up with the tar paper and wire mash, add white cement to the scratch coat. Do not go all the way to the ground (leave a minimum of 18 inches). You will not
need moisture to be "traveling" from the ground up. Make sure that the roof above the wall has a proper awning and there will be no rain water running down the fresco from the roof or the wall above the fresco.
If any part of the wall is under the earth or if the wall is moist, than you will have to create a "fresco wall" and anchor it to the existing wall about an inch+ away from it. To do so line the existing wall with tar paper, fasten studs over (2x4 will offset the fresco wall 1.5 inch away), put tar paper over again and wire mash to hold your scratch coat. Good mason should be able to advise you in detail on this, just make sure that you explain that you must keep salts and "standing" moisture away from your fresco.

Good luck

Ilia Anossov.

Hello Ilia!

My wall is covered with a awning and has no earth on the ground. The floor is tiled, so no moisture is there. Except for when I clean the floor with the hose. No water will come down onto the fresco. It is a solid wall.
Do I still have to use the tar paper, I am not familiar with it and where can I find if I need it? In Miami, we have only Home Depot to find these things.
I plan to do a mosaic of broken tiles from the ground up to cover myself when the floor gets wet. Then after the fresco will come up.
How does the tar paper stay on the wall? Does the cement I apply over the tar/wire hold it up?

Thank You Very Much.
Victoria in Miami

Hi again, Victoria!

Sound like you've got yourself a perfect wall!
Tar paper is a regular supply or the masonry store and home depot carries it as well. You will have a hard time fastening the tar paper and wire mash to the wall and I would advise to con tact a professional mason/plasterer to do it.

Theoretically you can "go" directly on to the wall without paper and mesh (based on what you say it looks like it is structurally sound, clean and dry and has no cracks). However in such case you will have to sandblast it clear from paint and "roughen" the surface with hammer and chisel (give the wall a tooth) to make the new plaster coats stick to it well. Use of the professional plasterer to do this is essential! If done improperly fresco will fall of the wall in no time.

I think you should go with tar paper + mesh, scratch coat, rough coat, float/brown coat (arriccio), intonaco. Use the plasterer to lay tar paper, fasten the mesh and build first two coats at least.

Post some pictures of your work in this forum as you go along.

Ilia

PS. Do not hesitate to ask more questions - i am happy to help. Yoram Neder must have a lot to say about outdoor fresco, I hope he reads this post.

Victoria and Ilia,
I have been told that for this kind of project, in order to add a layer of plaster on a concrete wall you could go with a layer of a mixture concrete/hydraulic lime then a mixture hydraulic/ non hydraulic lime and then your regular frescoe layers.
What do you think?
I am not sure what kind of plaster you both are talking about and Victoria if you only have Home depot to do your shopping then where do you find your lime?
Myriam