Michael Biddle, Resident Artist Lecture 1971

Michael Biddle gives a lecture at Skowhegan where he talks about the history of Egyptian, Ajanta and Roman wall and cave painting as well as Italian renaissance paintings. Biddle explains how Roman and Egyptian paintings were done on tombs and caskets and how they also shifted to the wall as well. Biddle shows slides of these works, encouraging the participants to study these slides; especially participants who are interested in fresco. Biddle further explains to the students to think about how three dimensional elements can be incorporated into a flat wall, and different techniques of fresco and mural painting that are used. Biddle then goes on to talk about materials used including tempera, pigments and hot wax being mixed together and then being directly applied to the wall. Biddle ends his lecture explaining more about the fresco technique, including applying paint on wet plaster and using pigment to dissolve it into water, and tells the participants that there is no glazing or underpainting used in these processes, but instead artists work directly with pigment. Biddle also tells the participants of the importance of conceiving of a complete idea before taking that idea one has and turning it into a fresco.