Fine Art and Painting Restoration Services
National Collection Service
Oil painting cleaning
The removing of yellowing varnish,grime and dirt, nicotine staining, and mould growth from an oil painting, This work requires the greatest care and skill if the painting is not to be overcleaned. We are able to repair paintings that have been overcleaned by a past restorer or an over zealous owner.
We always test a small area to see if the painting will clean and then carefully work through the various layers of dust and grime, nicotine staining, and layers of yellowed varnish. Once cleaned the paintings are protected with varnish.
Structural damage /Canvas re-lining
Where a painting has been damaged either through a rip or a tear we can offer a variety of solutions including re-linig and strip lining. We always follow minimum intervention where possible and will discuss all options available.
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Relining using conservation BEVA adhesive
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Wax relining on a vacuum table
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Resin and canvas patching of oil paintings
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Strip lining for frayed and damaged edges
Retouching and paint consolidation
We follow the ethical restoration standards of minimal intervention and reversibility. We only retouch the painting where paint is missing or badly worn. Retouching is time consuming and painstaking work.Only a small amount of the painting is worked and the colours and original brushstrokes have to be perfectly matched.
Anything that we apply to the painting can be safely removed by future restorers if required.
Antique frame restoration
We also offer a full cleaning and frame restoration service. We can repair damage to antique frames by making composite mouldings and clean tarnished gilt frames. Where necessary we can re-gild complete frames or just a small section.
Keeping the original frame to a painting greatly increases its value and we would alway recommend trying to salvage the most unfortunate looking frames.
Frame Gilding and Reproduction frames
I am able to re gild antique frames and supply reproduction antique frames to suit old paintings. The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt".
I only use 23.5 Ct gold for the best gilded finish, I can also apply toning washes to antique a newly gilded frame. Gilding is time consuming and the cost of the gold can make this expensive but the results are worth it. For a quotation for gilding please email me the size of the frame and the width and depth of the moulding along with some photographs of the frame.
Canvas Stretching
Artists, galleries and collectors often have artworks that been transported or rolled up in tubes and need to be re-stretched ready for framing, exhibition or display. Re-stretching painted canvases requires skill, patience and careful measurement. We check the amount of turnover available on the canvas, the condition of the paint layer, the square of the image and any bowing of sides caused by previous, inadequate stretchers. We then suit stretcher or strainer structure and type to the work and select the optimum stretcher bar weight. We are also happy to stretch and frame previously unstretched canvases and digitally printed canvases.
If you are outside of the North West region and would still like to enquire about our servies please contact us about our shipping and courier services. We can provide a professional art transportation quotation for large items which are fully insured. Our art work transpotation service has experience of handling objects for many national museums in the UK and accross Europe.
We are also happy to recieve paintings via courier should you wish to send smaller less valuable pieces to us.
To enquire about our national painting restoration service please email us