How to Protect Your Art Collection- A Complete Guide

Imagine this… You go shopping for art pieces and you find some gorgeous masterpieces. You purchase them and display them in an aesthetic fashion. But as time passes, they start collecting dust and the colour starts to wear off.

Nothing is more disappointing than that, isn’t it?

In this edition of our blog, we will be covering tips and tricks to protect and preserve your art collection, so it stays bright as new and saves you from the above mentioned scenario.

Read on.

Displaying:

  1. Prevention is better than cure! Hence, always get your paintings and other wall art neatly framed. It not just keeps them free from dust but also spices up the artwork and makes it look presentable.
  2. For non-wall art such as sculptures, vases, etc., avoid placing them directly on the floor as doing this might expose them to water. Also, lifting your pieces off the floor allows air to flow through them.
  3. When displaying your art, avoid placing them under direct sunlight and make sure the room is cool.

Cleaning:

  1. Remove your art works from display every now and then and check them for any damages.
  2. Never use water to clean any piece of art.
  3. Dust them gently using a feather duster on a regular basis.
  4. If you are using wooden frames, check them for termites at regular intervals as they might cause great damage to the artwork along with the frame.

Storing:

  1. Your art pieces must be got off display once every few months and stored inside. This gives them a break from being exposed to direct environment for a long time.
  2. When storing them, avoid polyethene and use cotton sheets instead.
  3. Wrap them carefully and store them in a cool and dry place.
  4. Keep checking them to make sure they are not exposed to termites and worms when they are stored.

Seeking professional help:

Sometimes it so happens that despite taking all the necessary precautions, artworks still start wearing off. When this happens, you might need to call a professional to look in.

Some such cases include-

  1. When the paint starts chipping or wearing off.
  2. When the canvas or paper starts turning a slightly yellowish tone. This is an indication of presence of fungi and needs to be got rid of immediately.
  3. If tiny bumps start appearing on your canvas. It means that the canvas needs to be re-stretched.
  4. When the colour starts getting duller or the tone of the colour changes. Varnishes tend to do that to your precious art collection.
  5. If your artwork is exposed to water. Especially canvas or paper art.
  6. Sometimes professionals might also be able to fix broken art pieces.

 

We hope this blog was useful.

Stay tuned to our blog updates for more information on various art related topics.


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