The Frescoes of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Wilkesboro, NC
"A unique opportunity came to St. Paul’s in 2002 when the parish and the Cultural Arts Council for Wilkes County joined together to have Ben Long paint two frescos in the Commons area at the church. Ben Long, a native of North Carolina, is internationally known for his work in the ancient art of fresco painting. Long works in the traditional technique used by the great Renaissance painters. The fresco is a long tedious process of applying three layers to the wall. The first layer is a base coat of plaster. Next is a finer coat of plaster to which a red outline transferred from a drawing is applied. The final layer of plaster is applied in small sections so that water-based pigments can be applied before the plaster dries. By using this process the painting becomes part of the wall." Text by Danny Hardison.

On View: Paul in Prison , one of a pair of frescoes by Ben Long. Read the story, and watch the video, here.