Venetian Fresco

Paul Cohen Carries a Torch for History
Decorative finishes at Venetian Fresco in San Rafael
By Robin Collins Email the author October 9, 2010
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The earliest image Paul Cohen remembers creating as a child is the face of David Ben-​Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel.
Born on Christmas day in Spain, and raised on a kibbutz in Israel, Cohen has been painting for 37 years. His right eye sustained a grenade injury in 1967 when he was a commander in the Israeli army. Rather than feel sorry for himself, Cohen accepts the injury as a gift because he says it has given him a deep perception of color.
An artist and painter, who owns Venetian Fresco in San Rafael, Cohen has the background, knowledge, and depth of experience to create an old world look even for those building a new home.
His company specializes in various types of decorative finishes for either the interior or exterior of your project. In a wide variety of colors, they include the rustic mottled look of centuries old plaster, the smooth texture of marble, Tuscan stone, slaked lime, travertine, high gloss polished luster for interiors, Venetian plaster, and other Italian style finishes.
Also an expert in painting and art restoration, Cohen can create entire wall murals as he did for a client who loves the bridges and water of Venice. His original works sell from $ 2 to $ 12,000.
He studied first in his homeland, then went to art school in Bologne, France. His marriage to a Swedish woman led him to Stockholm in 1978, where he lived for 25 years. While attending art classes there, and totally by coincidence, Cohen came across an older man who was marbleizing pillars outside a church. Fascinated by the process, Cohen watched for several hours and they struck up a conversation. Cohen wound up working side by side with the man, Stig Andersson, all over Europe. Together, they restored frescos in churches, marbleized pillars and other surfaces, and worked on the facades of old houses. Some of the projects took as long as two years.
Cohen considers Andersson his hero. «I was his right hand. He taught me all the secrets. Andersson was never married and had no children, so he took me under his wing and passed along all his knowledge.» Cohen has done the same thing with his son, Alon, who has been working with him for 12 years now, and also to Alon’s wife Liat who also works with the company. Everybody is local.
Living and working all over Europe taught Cohen eight languages. He speaks nine now, with English. He first came to the county on a project and fell in love with Marin. Cohen and his wife have a home in Terra Linda. Alon and Liat live in Bel Marin Keyes.
He creates frescos in what he calls «the old technique, as used 400 years ago.» Commissioned by a local client to do a painting of «The Last Supper» and starting with photographs, Cohen reproduced the look by painting cracks to replicate the original. To get the desired effect, Cohen often paints over a canvas with plaster and while it is still wet, he heats it with a propane torch until it cracks. In real fresco, of course, the cracks you see are in the walls.