I love a painting that is luminous. I love the surface which is applied with a trowel that feels like you are icing a cake. I enjoy the connection to Italy and Mexico. The colors each have their own unique histories . The elements used are simply lime that is slacked and clean sand. To start, you are faced with a glowing white surface that you can keep smooth or make marks on or even carve into. As the plaster dries, the pigment sinks through the surface throughout the level of plaster and makes a permant bond. The colors get lighter and brighter as they dry. There is a time limit of perhaps 35 hours to paint and there are only about 10 safe colors to choose from. Within these limits, I find a whole new world opening to me.