A painting does not have to be valuable for it to be worth restoring. Sentimentality can make the painting just as valuable to someone as an old master is to others!

Artist restorers

Some restorers are not artists and while this is not a problem with repairs, sometimes large areas have to be re-created and this needs the restorer to be able to appreciate what the original artist would have done and be able to do it! The example on this page is one of these.

This picture was not the worst I had worked on but 3 x 5 ft it was certainly the biggest. The final job on this painting was to make a slight alteration. The original artist is a well-known name and even with a serious damage repair it is worth a huge sum. It had a very badly painted face and the client wanted it correcting – any work like this has to be reversible and this was done by making the alteration over the top of securely dried varnish. The alteration can now be removed easily.

Cleaning: This may be the accumulation of dirt over the surface of the painting or the natural discolouring of the varnish over many years, or more commonly both of these factors.

Repairs: Tears, splits, holes and punctures in the canvas.

Relining: This is necessary when the canvas is severely damaged and is a way of strengthening the original canvas as this often becomes brittle with age.

Retouching: Repairing chips, scratches and lost areas on the painted surface. This could be accidental or the result of vandalism, but usually it is an extreme drying-out of the oils and a subsequent breaking down of the bond between paint and canvas.

Disclaimer: Paintings and frames are received by the conservator on the express condition that the conservator is excluded from all liability for loss or damage to any picture and/or frame deposited with the conservator for restoration or any other purpose howsoever that loss or damage may occur. Any article deposited with the conservator for the purpose of restoration shall be deemed to have been deposited with the express authority of the owner. Responsibility for the insurance of any article deposited remains with the owner.