Many people spend n-hundred dollars of their hard earned money on this wonderful oil painting to complement their living room. But, If they aren't take care of it, any artifact will quickly degrade into a useless piece of warped canvas. The truth of the matter is that any artifact needs consistent care to preserve its original qualities and materials. The following steps can help you ensure that your oil painting will last as long as your love for it.
Most oil paintings are painted on canvas, either cotton or synthetic, and are shipped un-stretched. They come in a round shipping tube that protects from elements and rough handling. The second you take your painting out of the tube, it becomes exposed to various aggressive agents such as moisture/dryness, excessive light, aggressive odours (food, smoke), mould and mildew, and various chemical elements. In addition to these "covert killers," as we call them, your painting is constantly exposed to direct physical impact by children, pets and all the envious admirers who absolutely must feel the texture with their oily fingers. To prevent such atrocities you should consider taking the following steps.
First and foremost, the painting should be stretched. We advise that you find a professional ensured stretcher shop. Stretching is a complex process. It requires a perfect combination of materials, precision, and experience. Be careful going with cheapest stretcher bars as low quality, soft-wood stretcher bars are vulnerable to temperature and moisture variations and can warp over time. We also recommend gallery stretch as it makes the painting more aesthetically pleasing on the sides. Please ensure that the canvas is not overstretched or stretched unevenly. It is also important to inspect painting surface for scratches and other damage prior to collecting it from your stretcher shop.
Now you should decide if you want the painting framed. Framing with protective glass and wooden/metal/plastic frame provides additional protection for your painting but makes it bulkier and harder to see from steep angles due to glass reflections. The delicate balance must be established based on the painting's value. If you only paid a couple hundred bucks it probably does not make sense to invest into an expensive and bulky frame. More expensive original works of art deserve professional framing and can help adjust the painting to your home settings and color palette.
The most important, we believe, decision is the location of your painting. There is a myriad of factors determining the best possible location and very often it is not the ugly wall above the radiator that we want to cover up. The best location for a painting is where it will not be exposed to frequent variations in temperature, moisture, and direct sun light. It is advisable to avoid high-traffic areas or places where kids or pets can easily bump or lean over the artifact, even if it is well protected. It is advisable to avoid locations with direct exposure to vapours, steam, direct heat, kitchen fumes, aggressive odours and spilling liquids. Generally avoid placing your paintings in such places as bathroom, kitchen, or kids' room.
Finally, maintaining clean environment around your painting is very important. Do not use wet cloth or vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dust on your painting. A soft dry dust brush will do the job much better.
