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Participate in the lime wash workshops at the Applied Pigment and Ochre Conservatory in Roussillon and give your walls the warm and sunny tones of summer.

 

Lime washes have a rustic look which gives soul and character to our homes, both classic and contemporary. The paints can be prepared and applied without great difficulty, but it’s even easier if beforehand, you enroll in an introductory workshop to learn the techniques of glazing, patina, and lime distemper for a few hours. Led by a trade professional, these classes demonstrate the different types of lime wash and teach you how to prepare the

paint for your walls. The basic ingredients of the paint are of course lime and water, to which you must add a third ingredient (resin, casein) so that the lime sticks to the walls once the water has evaporated. The pigments are mixed according to the color desired: the more pigment there is in the mix, the darker the tone will be. The quantity of water will determine the density of the paint layers, resulting either in more opaque or transparent

finishes. So everything’s a question of proportions, and just like a recipe, it’s up to each person to find the right one, the one which best suits the quality of the walls and his or her decorative intentions. Indeed these washes allow you to create lovely effects; the result will be different depending on whether you opt for a sponge finish, a polish, or a trompe l’oeil…

If you don’t know about ochre, its history, production and use, don’t hesitate to visit the magnificent site in which the workshops take place. The former Mathieu Ochre factory, established in 1920, was one of the last active ochre factories in the town of Roussillon. The old town centre is also worth a visit for its beautiful homes with their colored facades, and there’s the ochre track at the entrance to the village, as well as the Bruoux ochre mine at Gargas. Should you wish to explore the region further, the tracks for hiking, biking or horse riding will take you to the villages of Rustrel, Villars…

 

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By Corinne Russo - Photos José Nicolas - August 3, 2011

Conservatoire des Ocres et Pigments Appliqués
Ancienne Usine Mathieu, 84220 Roussillon
Tél : 04 90 05 66 69
www.okhra.com