All the elements of what happens when paths come together and cross can be found in the medley of vignettes painted as a backdrop to the guardian of the crossroads. No one image is meant to overshadow another. It is hoped that observers will have their own response to the figures and faces in the environs of the maiden. Fresco is the medium Michelangelo chose when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The technique involves mixing sand and lime, placing the mix on a wall and painting it while it's still wet.
Fresco painting is a tenuous art.
So quickly does the bonding of the pigment to wet plaster take place that great skill and meticulous planning must be maintained in order to achieve the beautiful result. Ben Long grew up in Statesville and attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He studied painting at the Art Student's League in New York. In 1970 he went to Florence, Italy. As an apprentice to the master artist Pietro Annigoni, he spent seven years there mastering techniques which included oil, tempera and fresco.