James Garrett’s journey to his medium is one that spans continents and centuries. A career in high end decorating exposed James to the Renaissance-era wall treatment known as Venetian plaster. The technique, as practiced by James, involves 40 to 50 layers of pigmented plaster on a surface, sanding each layer, and burnishing the surface until it shines like glass. In Renaissance Venice, this technique was used as an alternative to solid plaster walls so heavy that they made buildings sink. Originally from England, James brought the technique with him to the United States and evolved the process to create smaller pieces of artwork. The work is polished and burnished to an extremely high finish with a lot of visual depth and must be felt by hand to be fully appreciated. The finished surface feels like glass or polished marble.
James’s studio home studio is in Roaring Gap. Visitors can see the process and the materials of this unique technique. Multiple paintings could be in process at any given time, so guests could see the many stages of the work. James has experience giving talks on his process and the history of Venetian plaster through the centuries. Many of his paintings are displayed on the walls of his home. Touching is encouraged!
Open by appointment