If you are ever in the Waterloo area of Iowa, you are sure to hear the name and see the work of Paco Rosic. Paco took on the biggest challenge of his artistic career when he began a re-creation project of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel using Krylon spray paint. He and his family purchased a building so that he could re-create the masterpiece that he had dreamed of since he was 6 years old.
Paco spent four and a half months on top of scaffolding, 14 feet in the air, recreating the work that took Michelanglo four years. Over 2,000 cans of Krylon later, the ceiling was complete. Paco’s art is on a 2,500 square foot curved ceiling above what is now the Galleria De Paco, a fine dining restaurant. To see a slideshow of Paco’s amazing re-creation, click here.
What was the most challenging aspect of the Sistine Chapel recreation project?
The most challenging aspect of recreating the Sistine Chapel on my ceiling was envisioning the entire project on such a huge surface as my ceiling. A canvas is small in scale compared to 2500 square feet of ceiling. Also, I had to spray straight up. Just like a nail is harder to hit straight up during construction, a can of paint is more difficult to spray in an upward direction and to be able to control each stroke. I practiced spray painting upside down on a simple canvas in my garage to see if it was possible before I ever tried on my ceiling.
Did you find the recreation to be more or less challenging than you expected?
It was more difficult than I expected not from an artistic point of view but from a physical perspective. I could never have imagined the physical pain I would have to endure. Everything from cramps in my back, arm, fingers, everything… It took about three weeks of sheer agony followed by extensive acupuncture treatments to get me to the point of being able to continue. It came to a point that my spirit and drive (maybe numbness and lack of sleep) put me in a zone that kept me doing what I never (physically) thought would be possible. I was so into it that before I knew it—four and a half months passed and I was done.
What Krylon products do you use the most, and why do you like the Krylon products? Favorite color?
I used mostly browns and earth tones for the backgrounds. Specifically Saddle Tan, Almond Gloss and Leather Brown Gloss. My favorite colors are red and black to mix tones and hues. You don’t see them necessarily on the ceiling but they are there. Also Global Blue. It’s all about shading and layering colors when using Krylon spray paint. I love Krylon products because they have high pressure inside and you can always count on them to spray consistently so it looks like I was using a brush. Other products plug up but Krylon never does.
Do you keep a sketchpad or note pad with you to keep track of new ideas as they come?
I make notes and sketches all the time….it’s how I think and come up with ideas. Whatever pops into my head winds up on paper in the form of a sketch. You have to be able to draw and sketch before you can ever paint. It is the key and basis for becoming a great painter.
I see that you teach art as well. What have you found to be difficult in teaching students an art that has become second nature to you?
It is extremely important for me to tell my students that I am not a “Graffiti Artist” but an “Aerosol Artist.” It immediately elevates it to an art form and not some street form of expression. What I do is meant to be interpreted in the same way as paintings created with a brush. It is my mission to take it to the next level. I’m not ashamed of where I came from…but it’s more important to talk about where I’m going and how far I’ve already come.
What are some of the challenges and differences in technique you use when working on canvas compared to doing a large-scale project?
Canvas is more difficult with spray paint because canvas doesn’t absorb as fast as walls. It’s also more challenging to paint figures on a small surface. I am always explaining how it’s possible to create images and figures with such detail with such a high pressure instrument as a spray can.
Besides the Sistine Chapel recreation, what project of yours did you find to be the most challenging? Why?
No other project has come close to challenging me as much as the Sistine Chapel. It has been a lifelong dream of mine (since I was a child when my mom first showed me pictures of the Sistine Chapel) to be able to recreate this masterpiece. And once I started painting with cans, I knew this is how I was going to do it. The sheer scope and magnitude of this project dwarfs everything else by comparison. In all honesty, everything else is fairly easy to me. My biggest challenge with other projects is being able to “feel” them. I paint from the heart, so if I don’t feel it, it doesn’t get done.
Any plans for another large-scale project? What projects are you currently working on?
Besides my commission work, which keeps me very busy, I plan to create ceiling work featuring all of America’s presidents. I also want to portray American history through Aerosol art along with it. Europe is full of history told through paintings. The United States has very little of this and now is the time.
Paco spent four and a half months on top of scaffolding, 14 feet in the air, recreating the work that took Michelanglo four years. Over 2,000 cans of Krylon later, the ceiling was complete. Paco’s art is on a 2,500 square foot curved ceiling above what is now the Galleria De Paco, a fine dining restaurant. To see a slideshow of Paco’s amazing re-creation, click here.
What was the most challenging aspect of the Sistine Chapel recreation project?
The most challenging aspect of recreating the Sistine Chapel on my ceiling was envisioning the entire project on such a huge surface as my ceiling. A canvas is small in scale compared to 2500 square feet of ceiling. Also, I had to spray straight up. Just like a nail is harder to hit straight up during construction, a can of paint is more difficult to spray in an upward direction and to be able to control each stroke. I practiced spray painting upside down on a simple canvas in my garage to see if it was possible before I ever tried on my ceiling.
Did you find the recreation to be more or less challenging than you expected?
It was more difficult than I expected not from an artistic point of view but from a physical perspective. I could never have imagined the physical pain I would have to endure. Everything from cramps in my back, arm, fingers, everything… It took about three weeks of sheer agony followed by extensive acupuncture treatments to get me to the point of being able to continue. It came to a point that my spirit and drive (maybe numbness and lack of sleep) put me in a zone that kept me doing what I never (physically) thought would be possible. I was so into it that before I knew it—four and a half months passed and I was done.
What Krylon products do you use the most, and why do you like the Krylon products? Favorite color?
I used mostly browns and earth tones for the backgrounds. Specifically Saddle Tan, Almond Gloss and Leather Brown Gloss. My favorite colors are red and black to mix tones and hues. You don’t see them necessarily on the ceiling but they are there. Also Global Blue. It’s all about shading and layering colors when using Krylon spray paint. I love Krylon products because they have high pressure inside and you can always count on them to spray consistently so it looks like I was using a brush. Other products plug up but Krylon never does.
Do you keep a sketchpad or note pad with you to keep track of new ideas as they come?
I make notes and sketches all the time….it’s how I think and come up with ideas. Whatever pops into my head winds up on paper in the form of a sketch. You have to be able to draw and sketch before you can ever paint. It is the key and basis for becoming a great painter.
I see that you teach art as well. What have you found to be difficult in teaching students an art that has become second nature to you?
It is extremely important for me to tell my students that I am not a “Graffiti Artist” but an “Aerosol Artist.” It immediately elevates it to an art form and not some street form of expression. What I do is meant to be interpreted in the same way as paintings created with a brush. It is my mission to take it to the next level. I’m not ashamed of where I came from…but it’s more important to talk about where I’m going and how far I’ve already come.
What are some of the challenges and differences in technique you use when working on canvas compared to doing a large-scale project?
Canvas is more difficult with spray paint because canvas doesn’t absorb as fast as walls. It’s also more challenging to paint figures on a small surface. I am always explaining how it’s possible to create images and figures with such detail with such a high pressure instrument as a spray can.
Besides the Sistine Chapel recreation, what project of yours did you find to be the most challenging? Why?
No other project has come close to challenging me as much as the Sistine Chapel. It has been a lifelong dream of mine (since I was a child when my mom first showed me pictures of the Sistine Chapel) to be able to recreate this masterpiece. And once I started painting with cans, I knew this is how I was going to do it. The sheer scope and magnitude of this project dwarfs everything else by comparison. In all honesty, everything else is fairly easy to me. My biggest challenge with other projects is being able to “feel” them. I paint from the heart, so if I don’t feel it, it doesn’t get done.
Any plans for another large-scale project? What projects are you currently working on?
Besides my commission work, which keeps me very busy, I plan to create ceiling work featuring all of America’s presidents. I also want to portray American history through Aerosol art along with it. Europe is full of history told through paintings. The United States has very little of this and now is the time.
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