About

Biography

Born in Toronto, Canada Liana was raised in a small apartment above the family’s Italian grocery. She recalls a childhood spent drawing pictures alongside her uncle as he bagged and boxed the grocery’s and while her mother rang up the sale. At 4 years of age Liana would offer customers her drawings for sale for a penny, her art career was launched.

After graduating with honors from the Ontario College of Art, she worked in graphic design and advertising from 1988-1993. It was then that she decided to take a sabbatical to attend the Art Institute of Florence. Inspired by a country drenched with art and architecture, Liana’s passion was ignited as she learned about the Ancient Art of Fresco Painting, a medium that intrigue her for it’s history and unique beauty.

Currently Liana has been taking part in a world class exhibition in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Celebration of Fine Art is an annual event that runs from January until March and draws collectors from across the country.

Artist Statement

I have always been inspired to paint beauty whether it be in the form of a flower, a landscape or the human figure. It was my fascination with history and my love for Italy however, that guided me to Florence to study the ancient art of fresco painting.

“What is Fresco?”

Powdered pigments, lime, water, and sand are all that are required to paint in fresco. Basic materials from the earth that would have been available in the the ancient world. A chemical reaction occurs between these materials as they cure, so there is no need for added binders, a major requirement in all other forms of painting.

Considering the transient nature of our contemporary lifestyle I choose to create my frescoes on panels of either wood, cement, stone or terra cotta, rather then on fixed walls. As required, I always work in sections (called Giornate) which is the amount that can be completed in one day. It is imperative for larger works to be carefully planned in advance. Painting on each section must be finished while the plaster is in its damp or “fresh” state, a limited amount of time that varies with climate, weather and time of year.

To accommodate for the weight that results during the creation of larger frescoes I am able to utilize a complex double transfer technique called “The Strappo Technique.”  or detachment. This allows me to present the work on cloth instead of a rigid surface. Aside from making these frescoes transportable, the strappo technique adds a distress to the surface that provides an added dimension and aged quality to the work.

The unique luminosity, color and texture of a fresco, whether on a panel or transferred onto cloth provides an interesting contrast to other forms of painting when hanging together in a space. Aside from this, I think viewers become intrigued by my work when they understand the historical significance of the medium as well as it’s challenges and complexity.

I often choose the Italian landscape as a subject because of my strong ties to my family heritage in Southern Italy. Each fresco I create begins with a photograph rich with the memory of the moment it was captured. The time of day, the sounds, the feeling, the smells. I aim to re-live the experience of the place as I paint it so that I may be able to evoke this sense of presence to my viewer. Although I am continuously reminded of the complexity of life in modern times, I strive to recapture the essence of my ancestry through my work. I feel that we must cherish the people and the places that touch our lives, so that we may learn to appreciate the beauty in ourselves and in others, for the fleeting moment that we call a lifetime.

The Strappo Technique?

During the 18th century, new techniques were perfected for the restoration and conservation of ancient works of art, including methods of detaching fresco paintings from walls.
Detachment involves separating the layer of paint from its natural backing, generally a stone or brick wall.
The strappo technique, involves removing only the topmost layer of plaster, which has absorbed the pigments.
Layers of protective covering made of cloth and animal glue are applied to the painted fresco surface.
After a period of time as the glue dries the  painted fresco layer detaches from the wall.
The back of the fresco is cleaned to remove excess lime and a permanent backing made from more layers of  cloth and glue is reconstructed.
After the backing has completely dried, the cloth covering used to protect the front of the fresco during detachment is removed using a hot water.
The fresco is now transferred onto cloth and is flexible. It can be mounted as desired, either on a fixed wall, a panel, or stretched and framed like a regular painting in oil.
During the 18th century, new techniques were perfected for the restoration and conservation of ancient works of art, including methods of detaching fresco paintings from walls.
Detachment involves separating the layer of paint from its natural backing, generally a stone or brick wall.  The strappo technique, involves removing only the topmost layer of plaster, which has absorbed the pigments.
Layers of protective covering made of cloth and animal glue are applied to the painted fresco surface.  After a period of time as the glue dries the  painted fresco layer detaches from the wall.
The back of the fresco is cleaned to remove excess lime and a permanent backing made from more layers of  cloth and glue is reconstructed.
After the backing has completely dried, the cloth covering used to protect the front of the fresco during detachment is removed using a hot water.
The fresco is now transferred onto cloth and is flexible. It can be mounted as desired, either on a fixed wall, a panel, or stretched and framed like a regular painting in oil.
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Liana Sofia Tumino

Celebrating 17 years of continued exploration and specialization in fresco painting, an ancient art that requires painting into wet plaster with pure pigment.

Liana Sofia creates small to medium frescoes on panels of wood, tile, stone or cement board, while larger works are detachments from wall to cloth, the result of a restoration process called “The Strappo Technique.”

Rich with the memory of the moment of capture, each fresco begins with a photograph taken within the villages of Liana Sofia's parents and grandparents. She aims to re-live the experience and beauty of each place as she paints it, to evoke a sense of presence to the viewer.

Fine art collectors across the country have become intrigued by Liana Sofia's work when they understand the historical significance of the medium as well as it’s challenges,complexity and unique beauty.

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