Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Caring for Your Original Art

The following are some general guidelines for caring for original artwork and hand painted crafts that will keep your work beautiful for a lifetime and more.

Direct sunlight can fade and/or darken colors. Place your hand painted collectible or hang your painting so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Do not mount display lights directly over your hand painted item or original art. Spotlights should ideally be located several feet from the surface of a painting or a special collection display.

The best environment for artwork is moderate, including average temperatures of 70-75F and a humidity of 50%. Since we do not all live in ideal conditions, try to avoid exposing your hand painted items and original art to extremes of either heat or humidity.

Avoid fireplace smoke and cigarette smoke. For other types of dirt and dust, paintings may be dusted with a soft, clean brush to very gently remove accumulated dirt and dust. Decorative crafts can be wiped gently with a damp cloth. Do not use any detergents or chemicals. In-depth cleaning for fine art should be done by a professional art restorer and is usually only required after many decades or even centuries!

If your artwork or fine art crafts need to be placed in temporary storage, store paintings and handcrafted items at the same temperature and humidity levels as indicated above. Do not seal in plastic or glass as moisture build-up may cause damage. Sheets or other low lint cloths may be used to lightly cover your paintings or handicrafts.

If your artwork has been seriously damaged (tears, punctures or other significant damage), the repairs should be handled by a professional art restorer. Common tapes and glues may contain chemicals that will damage the art.

Follow these guidelines and your original art and fine art crafts will add beauty and joy to your life for many, many years to come.

Kathleen Karlsen is a professional artist, writer and design consultant residing in Bozeman, Montana. Kathleen is best known for her contemporary impressionism style and her colorful forest, landscape and flower paintings. Kathleen's original art and fine art gifts can be seen at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com For an extensive article about flower symbolism see http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowersymbolism.htm To see a selection of Kathleen's flower paintings, please visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/originalfloralart.htm

By: Kathleen Karlsen

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