Post 418: How to Care for Your Art Investment

How to Care for Your Art Investment 

Original fine art is an investment and canvases are, unfortunately, very fragile surfaces. Whether that artwork was thousands of dollars plus, or hundreds or less, your good money went into the purchase, supporting that artist or when you saw it at the art show, it spoke to your soul. You've gotten the artwork home, now what?

Art Care

So you have purchased a painting! Awesome, especially if it was from me!!

• How do you take care of it?
• Where should you hang it?
• Where should you NOT hang it?
• How do you store it?
• How do you clean it?

All very good questions about your art purchase. Fine art is simply not the same as generic mass produced art you find in your local home, discount, or thrift store. And much more care should be considered about not only where you hang it, but how you clean it and store it.

I have seen and heard about folks hanging artwork in a bathroom and cringed... that's NOT a good idea. And as a side note, I've heard a few stores about priceless art found in attics and in those thrift stores, but that's another story.

How to Care for Your Painting

Remember, a canvas is a fabric. It can be made of woven cotton, linen, or hemp, that is stretched and primed, then used as a painting surface. Even if the painting is designed on a panel board or wood panel, there isn't very much between the open air and the paint itself. 

My acrylic paintings are finalized with at least 2 layers of satin or matte varnish which "protects" the paint surface itself - to a degree. A painting will accumulate dust over time, so varnish is an important part of the painting process and the final barrier between the paint and the air. Periodically, paintings will still need some tender loving care to safely show them and perhaps when storing them, for its longest lifespan. Here is a list of reminders of the dos and don'ts to follow.

The DO NOTs When It Comes to Your Original Fine Art

• DON'T stack artworks, paintings, canvases on top of each other - especially in varying sizes. The weight or the wiring can press into the canvases below/above them.
• DON’T allow ANY rigid objects to press the front or back of the canvas, including fingers or easels.
• DON’T clean with ANY solvent, cleaning products of any kind, or water.
• DON’T use moist dust cloths, stiff bristle brushes, or feather dusters to try to clean the painting.
• Avoid spraying any fresheners, polish, etc. directly onto a painting. Avoid the chemicals!
• Temperature and humidity are important factors when it comes to your art collection. Keep away from heat sources (fireplaces, ovens) and moist environments (bathrooms). Damp basements and artwork is an invitation for mold growth, as are attics - too hot!
• Don't leave artwork in a very hot car for long.
• Don't store artwork directly on the floor - or concrete.
• DON'T hang directly where sunlight hits the painting. Direct sunlight can fade paint colors over time. Varnish can crack or yellow in prolonged sunlight.
• DO NOT store paintings in plastic bags, trash bags, store bags, etc. - or at least not for any length of time. Only use archival quality materials between the surfaces.
• My last DO NOT is when using bubble wrap to perhaps ship artwork. I would use archival paper first and foremost to wrap the artwork. Bubble wrap should have the plastic bubbles faced AWAY from the front of the canvas. I've seen artwork with the bubbles imprinted ONTO the surface of the paint.

What to DO to Care for Your Fine Art Collection

• Do have clean hands at all times when touching the artwork. An alternative is to wear clean cotton gloves.
• If dusting, you can use a very soft, dry cloth or a very soft brush on textured artwork. 
• Another option is to use compressed air to gently blow away surface dust.
• Or use - A soft sable brush can be lightly brushed on the surface while holding a vacuum - off the surface, to capture and remove debris.
• Or use - A lint roller lightly over the flat surface, test the sides first to ensure tape does not grab too much.
• Your art collection should be kept in a very stable, dry and cool environment. A consistent room temperature is suggested as 40-60% relative humidity.
• Hang your fine art in a place with good air circulation, which will help preserve the art.
• Do be careful to not bump or scratch the painting. IF paint is damaged, avoid dusting altogether. If damage occurs, you will need to consult a professional conservator.

The best type of light is indirect sunlight, recessed lighting and/or halogen lights (not ultraviolet).

Storing and Framing Your Fine Art and Prints

Canvases are, unfortunately, very fragile surfaces. Fine art is an investment and if you have watched any sort of an art museum or gallery movie or video, you see the care that is taken when moving and handling art and the gallery staff are often wearing cotton gloves.

When you purchase a giclee art print, those prints should be in good quality archival packaging, much like historical documents and photos. Use acid-free materials only.

• Giclee Prints should be stored flat.
• Framed Prints should again use archival materials only.
• Be aware that some artworks must be framed, and have a covering to protect them, like Watercolors, Pastels, Sketches, etc. And for some mediums, the glass or plexiglass surface should not touch the artwork surface at all.
• Protect the frames as well as the artwork! Dings, dents and scratches are not pretty and certainly do not look good when an artist is showing their artwork.

It is a very good idea to inspect your investments periodically to ensure they are not suffering any potential problems - dampness, dry rot, bugs, mildew. Check the front and the back of the works.

Artwork Care for further reading:

How to Store Art from Wikihow

Care for Your Paintings

10 Expert Tips for How to Protect Your Artwork from Damage

And for my fellow artists, here is an amusing, awesome video:

Storing Artwork - Tips For Artists by Rafi Was Here Studios

Now, you may want to hang that Picasso hanging next to the bathroom shower somewhere else, right?

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Author: Donna Liguria  is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

 *I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.

Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.