SUN = SAD
(caring for your oil painting)

After several clients asked me for advice on caring for their oil paintings, I thought I'd put together a page with some handy dandy tips.  Keeping an oil painting in great condition is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines. 

Location: Selecting an appropriate place to hang your oil painting is extremely important to its longevity.  There are a few basic things to avoid, which include direct sunlight and close proximity to heater vents, harsh (esp. halogen) lights, stoves, fireplaces, candles, and other sources of soot, extreme light, and/or heat.  The painting should be hung in an indoor location where it won't be subject to extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity (not in the bathroom, near a radiator, or by a heater vent, for example).  Also, bright "spotlights" and "gallery lights" mounted to the top of frames or directly above paintings emit too much heat and harsh, direct light.  It's best to avoid them, as they can fade the colors of the painting and cause cracking.

Cleaning: While cleaning an oil painting is best left to professionals, you can perform a gentle, infrequent dusting at home.   A soft, new, synthetic brush can be swept gently across the surface of the painting while it is still hanging on the wall.  This should be done once about every six months to a year to keep dust from building up on the painting's surface.  Dusters and cleaning cloths with a rough texture (like terry cloth) can snag on and abrade the painting's surface and shouldn't be used.  Cleaning products should never be used as they will compromise the painting's surface and will cause the paint to crack and flake off.  If a painting is approaching the 100 year mark and begins to look dark or yellowish, a professional conservationist can perform a thorough cleaning by removing surface grime and the painting's original varnish, which can become discolored with age. 

More questions?  More information can be found online, or drop me an email.