The best way to care for your art
Art brings joy, colour and feeling to our living spaces. Every piece often has its own story and means something special to us. Art is truly a reflection of who we are! To ensure you can enjoy it for many years to come, we’ve collected some tips to help you keep it in tip top shape.
Protecting your art:
• FADING – Keep art out of direct sunlight. As well as fading your beautiful pieces, artworks on canvas can crack, while artworks on paper can become brittle with sunlight. Even glass and ceramics can fade if left in strong sunlight for a prolonged period.
• SMOKE & POLLUTANTS: Keep art away from areas where cooking oils, smoking, or smoke from fireplaces can build up.
• MOULD: Artworks covered under plastic can get mouldy. Canvas needs to breathe, so don’t frame it under glass. It’s also a good idea to keep artworks away from humid areas like bathrooms.
• EXTREME TEMPERATURES: excessive dryness, humidity, heat or cold can damage artwork. Canvases can pucker, paint can crack, bronze art can change colour or crack with extreme temperature changes.
Cleaning your art:
• Dust with a clean soft cloth and never use cleaning products or water.
• You can clean Oil or acrylic painting on canvas by soaking a white cloth in gentle soapy water (an olive oil based soap is ideal), wipe gently and use cotton buds in crevasses. If it still looks grimy or colours have faded see and specialist art restorer.
• Glass can be wiped with a damp cloth, never put it into the dishwasher. Putting liquid into a glass piece can stain the surface of glass, and can crack if the liquid is extremely hot or cold.
• Ceramics are often porous, and will absorb water if left immersed. Wash gently and leave to dry.
• Bronze art can be dusted, and spot washed if essential, but avoid using cleaners as they can remove the colour or scrape the finish.
Storing art:
– Never lean artworks on each other – separate them with pieces of cardboard
– Wrap framed art or canvases in brown paper, then bubble wrap, put frame corners on all 4 corners and place the artwork in a solid box, or separate with cardboard
– For transporting/ shipping, fill the box with paper to avoid movement inside the box.
– Ceramics and glass should be stored securely, not on shelves where they might be bumped or shaken.
– Place Unframed art in plastic sleeves with acid free paper to prevent bending
Stretched Canvas:
If the Canvas has become loose, check if the paint is water or oil based by dabbing a damp white cloth in a part of the painting that won’t be obvious. If the paint doesn’t come off on the cloth, it’s an oil based paint.
– SOLUTION FOR AN OIL BASED PAINTING: You can tighten the canvas by simply lightly spraying water on the back of the canvas and allow it to dry in the sun- as canvas is fabric it will retighten
– SOLUTION FOR A WATER BASED PAINTING: Don’t touch it
If your art needs repairing, restoring or looks like it needs a thorough clean, always contact a professional for advice.
Tips taken from: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22143598/list/the-best-ways-to-care-for-clean-and-store-art and http://artevolution.com/how-to-care-for-your-art