How I Got To Restore Art For The Most Famous Man In The World

What is even more interesting is that this unlikely connection was made at the beggining of my carreer y first private client was the family estate of the most famous man in the world and it was the beginning of working with people long distance By Scott M. Haskins   This blog post has been syndicated at ExpertClick.com. What does it mean that this article is “ syndicated”? See details at end of this blog post. Posted on July 8, 2023 about a look-back at events of 1977-78

As I write this and post it, I am in Florence, Italy looking over a job for the US Consulate/Embassy who are concerned about cracks in affrescoes in the historical building where the Consulate is located, poor quality previous restorations, removing repainting over historical paintings and design details. Its been 45 years since I finished my upper division studies in painting conservation here in Italy and I have been thinking about some of the circumstances that got me started in my profession. Let me tell you about three foundational experiences that proved to be important for my future and that will tweek your interest if you are into art, historic preservation, art restoration, Italy etc… and a good story. I’m often asked how I got started. So, here I am in 1977  (45 years ago)…

I was approaching the end of my three-year master’s degree level, fine art conservation program (1978) at a Lombardy Regional satellite center of the Istituto Centrale di Restauro in Rome. In addition, I considered my efforts to experience “extracurricular work” a supplement to my formal program work, which, justifiably, was not production oriented and was very slow paced. In an attempt to see a balanced picture of the art conservation profession, I had applied and been hired at a local “hack shop” restoration bottega, where they were specialized in quick, cheap work and low prices. It seemed Sig. Bertoldi liked me but given my newly acquired academic and professional practical skills, I was not as quick to complete tasks as he wanted, and I refused to clean paintings with a mop, figuratively speaking. His techniques and speed at cleaning paintings, especially 19th century art, often resulted in extensive damage to the painting’s original paint layers in the process, and then his shop just re-painted… it was a good education about “the other side of the tracks.” Soon after the employment with Signor Bertoldi ended, a coworker from the bottega referred a client to me for work to be done on my own. I felt ready to “give it” a try. It seemed my friend from the bottega must have said some kind things about me because my new client, Mr. Montini did not seem uneasy about working with me. I thought it was interesting that, even though he lived outside of town that he would drive an hour on a two-lane country road to come and see me… and he didn’t seem too bothered to do it again to pick up his restored item when I was finished. He was obviously very pleased with my work, and maybe that helped him justify the travel time and effort. He then, enthusiastically, invited me to come to his house and look over some other things that could be restored. So, my first private transaction was a big success. Now it was my turn to negotiate the two-lane country road, up a valley and through small towns just north of Brescia, Italy. The Valletrompia today may be one of the areas of Italy with the highest per capita income due to the numerous cottage industries of international renown. It has had an active population consisting of many towns since at least medieval times and was probably in an active transit corridor during Roman times. Within the year, I would be coming up this road again to undertake a project on behalf of my formal art conservation training program. At the top end of the pre-alpine valley is the town Lumezzane, and in the Romanesque-turned-Renaissance parish Church, I was given an affresco to work on as part of my master’s degree final exam.

But a ways before the end of the valley is the small, sleepy, poorly lit, non-descript town of Concesio. It was late in the afternoon before I arrived, and it was suggested that I arrive before it gets dark, or I would never find my way around town (decades before GPS was invented). The detailed directions brought me to a large unlit residential compound, that was the only construction on its side of the street and left little room for a sidewalk along the narrow street with its 3 story wall and the huge front door, all very plain and very old…  I was thinking, probably at least 300 years old. Although, big, exclusive, and ancient, it was not at all architecturally or artistically noteworthy. In fact, everything could’ve used a cleaning and some fresh paint.

Mr. Montini, himself, answered the front door with a smile and a handshake, dressed as before, in well used, casual clothing, and welcomed me inside.  I walked into the predictably cold interior of the huge, cavernous, dimly lit, poorly heated, rooms. My previously restored item had a place of honor in the huge hallway by the front door. Perhaps that was its downfall as the cleaning lady kept this area, looking better than the rest of the house, and had accidentally knocked it to the floor. Mr. Montini was very nice and made several nice comments and noted my work as we walked by. As soon as I entered the house, I already had a broken neck noting everywhere, practically, that the walls were full of framed paintings and textiles. The artwork was displayed, hung gallery style, from the baseboard to the crown molding on absolutely every wall of the house and the ceilings had affrescoes.  The paintings were hung only inches apart and covered completely the 10-15 foot walls of the hallways, large rooms and every room and passageway that I could see as we passed. They even covered the walls of the bathroom I visited. I’m not exaggerating when I say that there were literally thousands of paintings small to very large (today, the residence has been made into a memorial and museum and appears MUCH different than when I visited). Mr. Montini of course, was not trying to impress me, nor satisfy my kid in the candy store look on my face. He was nice and conversational, but he did not seem to know a lot about the artwork or furnishings and made no effort to turn on special lights to show better the art as collectors like to do when they have visitors. After we got past “the pleasantries” and he got to know me a little better, he divulged that I was sitting in the family estate of the ancient and powerful Montini family and the childhood home of Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, the present/current day most famous man in the world… Pope Saint Paul VI, presently, at that time, in authority in the Vatican.

The Mr. Montini in front of me, was a cousin, and had been appointed by the family as the caretaker of the estate. He told me all this matter of factually with no flair or need of recognition. In fact, I had the sense that the whole thing bored him terribly! It was a nice visit, and when it was over, I left the house with a darkly painted 18th century oval portrait of an ancestor count or duke or something or other. Thinking back on that project portrait he gave me, it was probably a test, once again, to see the quality of my work. While the work on the painting was fairly straightforward visually, oval portraits can sometimes be tricky when doing structural work.

Apparently, I passed my test with flying colors and he was enthusiastic about the results of the painting conservation treatments when I delivered his painting on my second visit. We sat and had cookies and hot chocolate, while I was encouraged to tell my story, and he enjoyed inquiring about my opinions about how to resolve the problems of the world. But we did not talk about art! I guess by this time I was fully vetted and my work appeared to him to be of high enough quality that he enjoyed the expression on my face when he consigned to me a 4’ x 2’ painting on canvas of a male clothed figure painted in the mid 1500’s by Paolo Veronese (I think he told me that someone in the family bought it directly from the artist! It looks stylistically as if it came from the planning of San Sebastiano in Venice)

Wow. I thought it strange, though, that despite the fame and value of the painting he gave to me to work on, he never checked in on me, or asked to visit me during the couple of months it took me to return the work to him. Also, interesting to me was the trust that he gave my professional opinion about what needed to be done and without question, agreed to everything I suggested. And that was the beginning of working autonomously in my new profession of art conservation. It was 100% a positive experience and a good start. If this is your first time on this blog, poke around to see other interesting articles, videos, testimonials. There are pull down menus under the rotating photos in the header of the website. Please leave this article a "thumbs up" at the top of the page and a comment at the bottom of the page. Thanks! Want to know more about Fine Art Conservation Laboratories today? Our firm, Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL, Inc.) is called in often to clean, preserve, restore and even remove and reinstall murals, treat water damage on paintings, stop and preserve paintings with flaking, repair rips, stop cracking and much more For general mural conservation capabilities videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4l6EG8T-I&index=13&list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79 For our mural capability statement: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/ For our mural consultation statement: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/ Our mural conservation videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79 If you have questions, call:  Scott M. Haskins 805 570 4140    faclartdoc@gmail.com  Or Virginia Panizzon, Veteran Art Conservator 805 564 3438 office p.s.  If you would like to know more about what you can do to protect and preserve your original family history items, collectibles and memorabilia click on this link for a free copy of Scott M. Haskins book Save Your Stuff – Collection Care Tips, 210 pages with 35 embedded how-to videos. p.s.s. CLICK HERE for our YouTube channel - Subscribe!  See quick video on Discovering Hidden Signatures on Paintings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxOqa-Aa9Nk This blog post has been syndicated at ExpertClick.com. What does it mean that this article is “ syndicated”?  It's a bit of a coup to get an article syndicated, and its certainly prestigious, as additional "proof" that the info and the author are considered far and wide authoritative and an expert in the field. So, enjoy and trust our content!! This article was syndicated for USA national redistribution. When something is published, usually by a news source, and is made available through different venues for redistribution then it is said to be syndicated. Publications that are syndicated are usually considered of value as being from an expert, educational, newsworthy or valuable for wide popular interest. See syndication page at the renowned publicity site: https://www.expertclick.com This website's syndication included: 1) Included in the ExpertClick Press Room as a ‘press release.’ (different than a ‘news release’) 2) Included in the ‘Speaker Bureau Platform Page.’ 3) Shown on the front page of ExpertClick, in rotation with other most recent posts. 4) Shown in the ‘News Release Results page.’ 5) Included on optimized for searches on all my topics of expertise. 6) Shown via RSS linked from the Press Room. (A specific way news is actively distributed within the industry) 7) Shown in the full RSS feed from ExpertClick. (Another, different specific way news is actively distributed within the industry) 8) Syndicated to LexisNexis.com As of 2006, the company had the world's largest electronic database for legal and public-records related information, distributor of academic content and expert opinion. This article has been syndicated at https://www.expertclick.com

Gorgeous Gilded Age Society Painting Dented by Freak Accident Art Restoration

This video entertains you with a story about surprising impact damage on 19th century paintings of high society fashion with some tips on condition from an art conservator. See several paintings of gorgeous women in The Gilded Age Society, paintings by the French-Italian Master Artist Frederic Soulacroix.

    

Call us for a pleasant chat about your art restoration questions: 805 564 3438 Scott M. Haskins, Oriana Montemurro, Virginia Panizzon Art Conservators.

Click here for our blog/website: http://www.FineArtConservationLab.com

Click here for our YouTube channel: http://www.YouTube.com/bestartdoc

Ripped Oil Painting Art Restoration Ventura, Thousand Oaks Testimonial

A treasured painting, a memory of early years, was ripped when a ladder went though the middle of the painting creating an ugly rip. Referred by a local museum, she called Fine Art Conservation Laboratories 805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com

Art conservators/restorers Scott M. Haskins, Virginia Panizzon

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200 YEAR OLD PAINTING NEWLY RESTORED RETURNS TO MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

This is a startling photo of Mission San Juan Capistrano if you know the mission today. It was taken prior to its restoration at the beginning of the 20th century. This last month, May 2014, Fine Art Conservation Laboratories completed the art conservation or painting restoration of the biggest most important painting in the Father Serra Chapel, Station of the Cross XII or The Crucifixion. This extremely large Spanish Colonial work of art is 12 1/2' tall x 7' wide. Here is the article about the project: http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/oil-paintings/200-year-old-painting-newly-restored-returns-to-mission-san-juan-capistrano/

Scott M. Haskins, professional art conservator from FACL, Inc.  explaining the details of the project.

Pollock's 'Mural' restoration nearing completion

• One of the main influencing "founding fathers" of Post War Abstract Expressionism in the United States was Jackson Pollock, hence one of the elements of his great fame and the astronomical values his paintings have. Perhaps one of his most famous paintings is this painting entitled "Mural" which belongs to the University of Iowa.
  
  
  Pollocks influence on both "schools" or centers of production in the Bay Area (Berkley) and in New York cannot be understated and influenced generations of artists. Fine Art Conservation Laboratories consistent work on Post War Abstract Expressionist paintings over the years have included most of the notable artists from the Berkley School.
  
  
  
  
  
  FILE - An Oct. 17, 2002, file photo is of the University of Iowa's painting titled: "Mural" by Jackson Pollock. The 70-year-old painting has been in the conservation department of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles where it will go on display in March before a 10-month display in Sioux City, Iowa. The 8-foot by 20-foot piece was removed from the University of Iowa Museum of Art because the building was damaged by flooding in 2008. Photo: Deb Barber, AP

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An extensive 19-month effort to study and restore a Jackson Pollock painting is nearly finished, officials say as they prepare to have the famous piece displayed in California and Iowa this year.

The 1943 painting "Mural" has been in the conservation department of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles since the summer the 2012, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported (http://icp-c.com/1l0s9k6 ). Restoration has included stabilizing the piece's physical structure, which had been sagging, and removing a varnish added in the 1970s.

"The painting started sagging very early in its life, probably as Pollock was painting it, because he probably himself didn't make strong enough of a stretcher for such a large painting," said Yvonne Szafran, head of the Getty's paintings conservation department. "That's keeping in mind this was the largest painting he had painted up until this point, and maybe the largest painting he ever does paint — it's certainly the widest."

The restoration work involved examining slivers of paint under a microscope and using imaging technology to virtually see layers of color. The research has dispelled the myth that Pollack created the famed artwork in a 24-hour session, as well as determined that the artist used some house paint on the piece.

University of Iowa Museum of Art Director Sean O'Harrow called the restoration, which was done pro bono, the most important modern art conservation effort in recent years.

The 8-foot by 20-foot painting was removed from the University of Iowa Museum of Art before the building was damaged by flooding in 2008. The painting is owned by the university, which received it through a donation in 1951 by art collector Peggy Guggenheim. It is insured for $140 million and is considered one of the most important modern American paintings in history.

The painting will go on display at the Getty in March before a 10-month stint at the Sioux City Art Center beginning in June.

Officials hope to take the painting on an international tour with other Pollock works. It would return to Iowa City once a new space is built for the university's 14,000-piece art collection. The touring plans are still in its early stages.

"While we build a new museum, we thought it would be the one, great opportunity to engage the world before it comes back to Iowa City," said O'Harrow.

Cowboy Painting by Maynard Dixon Newly Discovered - Time Lapse Cleaning Video

Maynard Dixon is usually a favorite of the Old West, Western Art and early Impressionism so its always fun to see a "new" painting, that's been hidden away (and in this case unappreciated!) resurface after 110 years! Steven Stern Fine Arts brought this gorgeous painting to us for art conservation treatments. Its hard to believe that someone tried to clean it before us! See the short 2 min time laps video of the process of cleaning a painting at  http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/in-lab/maynard-dixon-painting-restoration-art-conservation/

We've cleaned some of Dixon's great paintings over the years like the one here below. Enjoy the video!

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 895 5121
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate 805 895 5121

Insights into Art Masterpieces by Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservator

Many of you have enjoyed the art history video tours where I've taken you through some great galleries/museums. Here's another I think you will enjoy no matter how little you know about art or history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZITYx1QmBc 

Be sure to "like" the video and this page. 

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For a video tour of the art conservation lab go to

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Painting restoration questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

Hidden Paintings, Covert Art: Once lost is now found- Intriguing and mysterious. Why would someone do SUCH a thing?!

Hidden from the IRS? The Nazis? Technology and luck help to find lost masterpieces.

Hidden Paintings: Lost and Forgotten, But Now They Are Found

By Scott M.Haskins, Painting Conservator

Do I hear and “Amen!” to the fact that one of the most entertaining thoughts as a collector is to find another painting under the one you bought?! OMGosh, the stories that are told about hiding art from the Nazis or the IRS (no, I won’t comment), artists reusing their canvases and many more are plentiful and we hear them often here at Fine Art Conservation Laboratories. I have so many great stories of our adventures that my office manager keeps insisting that I write a book. Many of these stories involving “discovering hidden art.” I don’t think I’ll be a threat, however, for Daniel Silva! I do get comments once in awhile that I remind people of his main character who is an art restorer and spy. I read one of his books on a plane trip a few months ago. It was a page turner and I read the whole thing on the round trip.

One of the investigative tools that I use in professional art conservation is an infrared reflectometer to look under the thin layers of paint to see what we can see. In fact I made a video about “Hidden Signatures on Paintings Discovered with Infrared” that has been quite popular and educational for art collectors. In fact, I was called and then used as the main expert on the hugely popular CNBC television series Treasure Detectives for their final episode of last season.

I used an infrared reflectometer when we received into the lab a really nice California Coastal scene by Orrin White, perhaps the nicest painting by this artist that I had ever seen. The back of the painting was painted white. An odd thing. So, we looked at this white backside and saw a ghost image in the monitor of a mountain, trees and perhaps a lake. The owner agreed to a cleaning test and we were able to remove some white paint to reveal the nice colors of the painting underneath. Finally, the curiosity was too much for the owner and we cleaned the white paint off to reveal…

At this point, I’m almost always asked, “Can you split the canvas so to end up with two paintings?” No, paintings on canvas cannot be done. However, I have done this work on a double sided artist pulp board panel that was made from layers of paper and that was thick enough to split safely for the paintings.

Cleaning off the overpaint from a painting that’s been “hidden” is a sketchy proposition. It worked to perfection in the painting mentioned above. But was less successful, yet super intriguing, with a portrait of well know LA art dealer, Earl Stendahl by an artist named Werner in 1932. The painting belonged to the old art dealer’s grandson but on the back of the painting was noted the Guy Rose estate stamp and an exhibition label for Rising Mists by Guy Rose. Whaaa?!?!?!  After inspection with infrared and the above described cleaning tests, it was decided to get into the removal of the portrait to rediscover the long lost painting by Guy Rose. Here’s what the result of the portrait removal was…

While the final picture matched the post-mortum exhibition catalog illustration for Rising Mists, the sale of the painting afterwards has not been successful. Personally, I like the picture a lot.

We’ve got another painting in the lab that has an abstract figurative painting over what appears as a landscape underneath. The top painting is flaking badly. The family history on the painting is that it was being hid back in the 1930’s from debt collectors cause it was super valuable. We’ll see… I’ve also had paintings brought to me that were painted over treasure maps being hid from the Nazis and smuggled out. A waste of time? Well, at least there’s a good story and a “look” in the eye of the owner.

I also once found an ad for a horseless carriage stretched over stretcher bars UNDER another stretched canvas of a historical building done in 1906. That was fun, but not as interesting as the recent article you can read here:

Museum has one more painting than it thought

Another work discovered during restoration of Frank C. Ashford painting  July 20, 2013|Staff reports

When a Frank C. Ashford painting was sent to Minneapolis to be restored, the Dacotah Prairie Museum found it had one more Ashford painting than it thought.

 The museum has long owned an original Ashford oil painting called “Portrait of a Young Woman.” With the support of the Yellow Brick Road Quester Club, the museum hired the Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis to restore “Portrait of a Young Woman.”

 While the painting was in Minneapolis, the conservator removed the canvas from the frame to discover another painting of another young woman underneath.

 “This new Ashford painting, which will become part of the museum collection, is truly a gift since no one knew of its existence,” according to a museum news release.

 The two pieces will be jointly unveiled at a reception on Tuesday.

 The revitalization of “Portrait of a Young Woman” was completed with money raised by Aberdeen's Yellow Brick Road Quester Club and a South Dakota Preservation and Restoration Grant from the state Questers organization.

http://articles.aberdeennews.com/2013-07-20/lifestyle/40699714_1_ashford-painting-museum-collection

So, if you’ve read this far you are seriously in love with the art world. I trust you know the in’s and out’s of utilizing UV to inspect paintings for previous restorations and monkey business? It’s a major point of focus to learn to use this technology well, as an art collector. This is the due diligence that will raise questions that will save you $10,000’s or more, depending on your budget. Here’s a link to some videos and more info: UV Blacklight info

For a news article featuring Scott M. Haskins’, Click here: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/media-room/art-restorerconservator-scott-m-haskins-featured-in-life-section-of-newspaper/

For art conservation and painting restoration questions call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 or faclartdoc@gmail.com

For art appraisal questions call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121 or jrholgate@yahoo.com

See short videos by Scott M. Haskins on art conservation related subjects at YouTube channel “Bestartdoc” http://www.youtube.com/user/bestartdoc?feature=mhee

See short do-it-yourself videos on collection care and emergency preparedness for art collectors, family history items, heirlooms, memorabilia at Youtube Channel “preservationcoach” http://www.youtube.com/user/preservationcoach

To learn more about what you can do at home to take care of your stuff, download now a copy of Scott Haskins’ book, How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster at 50% off! CLICK HERE to know more: http://saveyourstuffblog.com/products-supplies/

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Art Restoration, Painting Conservation, Art Conservation, Repair Art Los Angeles, Santa Monica

A new video shows a summary of our art conservation and painting restoration work in the Los Angeles, CA area. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5K5CIUWVp8

http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/  Highest quality professional art conservation and restoration services. Door to door service. Conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438  Also, fine art insurance claims consultant and expert witness in art related matters.

See who our clients are and about our background.

Testimonials: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/testimonials/

Consultation resume: http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/consultationsurveys/

About Scott Haskins: http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/about-scott-haskins/

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Keywords:

faclinc, Art Restoration, Painting Conservation, Restoration of a painting, Painting restoration, Art Conservation, Repair Art, Clean a painting, fix a rip in a painting, Scott M. Haskins, Japanese American National Museum, mural conservation, mural restoration, Jonathan Club, WPA murals, Olympic Murals, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey, Brentwood, Belair, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Glendale, Alta Dena, Encino, Pacific Palisades, Mailbu, West Los Angeles,

Gorgeous Painting by William Kendall - Short Video

Nice short video about the art conservation - painting restoration of a gorgeous painting by William Sargent Kendall for the Springville Museum of Art by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories - Scott M. Haskins. Rita Wright, Director invites you to see the museum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx_pt3P3_yw

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

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Flaking on Paintings 3 good tips for art collectors

by Eleanor Nelson, Guest Blogger

Flaking paint may start in quantities too small to see. In this way it can be a problem that is easy to miss, and exacerbate. The natural (even well-intentioned) urge to clean a painting tends, unfortunately, to manifest in wiping the surface down. This should never be done, whether the cloth used is wet or dry. A damp cloth can cause canvas to expand and contract which leads to further flaking and result in damage rather quickly.

Even a dry cloth, however, can do damage. Areas of flaking that only a trained conservator would spot may only need the encouragement of a sweep of a rag to begin dropping away. If you see flaking, it is best to not touch the affected area at all. When a problem arises, there can be enormous temptation to use our hands to try and solve it – even seasoned art experts can be guilty of touching paintings they know will flake. Each bit of flaking increases the time – and money - that will have to be spent on the project. The more that can be preserved, the better the chances are that the painting’s value will not drop too much.

Unfortunately, people may think they are being extra helpful by using cleaning solutions or solvents to clean a grubby painting. Never do this! Leave it to the professionals! Conservators train long and hard to learn the extremely complicated processes of cleaning works with solvents and even with training each piece requires the meticulous use of very small quantities of these powerful chemicals. Someone without training could damage a painting and impact its value very quickly indeed.

Finally, if you have noticed cracking or flaking, check to see if the piece is being exposed to a heat source like heating vents… even fireplaces, which aren’t used very much for heating these days but are still favorite places to hang paintings, are a less-obvious threat and so could feasibly cause more damage over time.

If you have found us because a similar situation has already happened, don’t despair. The good news is that the below references are trained professionals and the purpose of their job is, more often than not, erasing life’s mistakes large and small.

For a news article featuring Scott M. Haskins, art conservator, Click here: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/media-room/art-restorerconservator-scott-m-haskins-featured-in-life-section-of-newspaper/

For art conservation and painting restoration questions call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 or faclartdoc@gmail.com

For art appraisal questions call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121 or jrholgate@yahoo.com

See short videos by Scott M. Haskins on art conservation related subjects at YouTube channel “Bestartdoc” http://www.youtube.com/user/bestartdoc?feature=mhee

See short do-it-yourself videos on collection care and emergency preparedness for art collectors, family history items, heirlooms, memorabilia at Youtube Channel “preservationcoach” http://www.youtube.com/user/preservationcoach

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Painting Restoration on Artist's Wife and Daughters by William Sargent Kendall 1906

We just finished working on a gorgeous picture by William Sargent Kendall of his wife and two daughters painted in 1906. It belongs to the Springville Museum of Art and we'll be taking it back to them in two weeks. We'll be sad. It so beautiful and we love looking at it in the lab. 

This article about the artwork and its art conservation treatments was written by FACL paintings conservator Oriana Montemurro: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/in-lab/william-sargent-kendall’s-“the-artist’s-wife-and-daughters”-in-the-lab-for-art-conservation-treatments/

Update on Smuggled Russian Royalty

Remember the story of Smuggled Russian Royalty (http://fineartconservationlab.blogspot.com/2010/01/russian-royalty-smuggled-out.html)? Well, here's an update:

The 3 Royalty portraits ,were stabilized but not inpainted ( touched up) because owner wanted to show them in their most original condition. But here's the fun thing..After we delivered the 3 portraits back,  the owner, then  had them appraised at The Antiques Roadshow.

Clean this painting? E. Roscoe Shrader Condition Evaluation

E. Rosco Shrader vintage oil painting condition question results in a good lesson for art collectors: http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/cleaning/e-rosco-shrader-condition-question/

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Post War Abstract Expressionist Art

Carmel was beautiful and sunny yesterday. The owner of the Post War Abstract Expressionist paintings that we returned the completed projects to was over the top excited about our conservation/restoration work. We picked up two more (see photo... its by Ruth Wall c. 1947) to work on, one with an ugly tear... that will vanish.

We love working on Post War Abstract Expressionist paintings and have been for 20 years. We began working with David Carlson at that time.

And I picked up a painting that was SUPPOSED to be by a famous artist around 1900 but, oooppppps! Under the microscope below the dirt, dust and discolored varnish I was able to read someone else's original signature. The value went into the basement. Misattributions can be expensive mistakes.

http://www.fineartconservationlab.com

Art and Painting conservation questions? Call Scott Haskins 805 564 3438
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

See interesting entertaining videos on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/bestartdoc?feature=mhsn

Broken Hanging Wire Causes RIpped Painting and $4,300.00 Worth of Damage

The reverse side of the painting with the rip, caused by the hanging wire breaking

The Laguna Arts Festival holds a lecture series (http://bit.ly/pVVE6C) and I was their visiting expert last week.  I spoke about general things to think about when protecting and saving collectibles, artwork etc. Well, yesterday, someone’s disaster walked through my front door. A valuable vintage painting’s wire broke and the oil painting on canvas hit the edge of a table and here’s what you get… a 6 inch x 18 inch “L” shapped rip and flaking paint. See the informative story with tips, link and videos at http://saveyourstuffblog.com/paintings/how-to-hang-a-painting-and-do-it-right/

•  You do the math; be a good curator of your collection or mishaps like the one in the photo above are $4,300.00 to fix perfect.

Questions” Call Scott at 805 564 3438
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard at 805 895 5121
Also see http://www.fineartconservationlab.com
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