Cleaning An Old Oil Painting

Solutions You Can Use To Clean An Old Painting At Home...
(Oil or Acrylic Paints On Canvas)

• Remove dust with a paint or make-up brush making sure brush is soft, clean, and dry.
• Use your own saliva moistened with a cotton swab.
• Use, with cotton swab, one part of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts of water, especially if mold is present; may lighten some pigment colors.
• Use 1 cup denatured or rubbing alcohol to 1 cup water (= to =) with a cotton swab.
• Gently rub painting surface with fresh Italian bread, without the crust. The kneaded bread crumbles away taking most dust and tobacco grime to the floor; use a drop cloth for easy work space clean-up. DO NOT use bread if mold is visibly present & follow with brushing off any remaining crumbs. Then use either the rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide solutions above.

While browsing an estate sale one day it was announced that all marked prices would now be half off, so without even looking I grabbed a $5.00 antique oil painting off the floor; what a crazy bargain! When I got the painting home I quickly realized they should have paid me to take the filthy thing! Having sat on its side for God only knows how long, over the years someone had spilled something on the canvas. In addition to regular tobacco smoke and grime residue, the mysterious substance had created very dark streaks running left to right over the painting. I knew I probably had a perfect candidate for testing out some amateur conservation and restoration techniques.

Shown at left is the painting after two initial quick cleaning sessions. Clean any painting at your own risk! A professional should be consulted for valuable or insured pieces. When cleaning a painting or canvas surface NEVER use bleach or dish soap, and always test a small area first with any cleaning method. If paint color comes off onto the test cotton swab, with only reasonable pressure, you might have to consider using a different method, allowing some paint loss, or trashing the painting altogether!

First thing I did was to determine whether or not the painting had any great financial value; it could be worth a costly trip to a professional for cleaning. Look at the photograph of the entire painting above (click image to enlarge). You're seeing it after some initial cleaning to remove those very dark streaks, and the photo is a bit out of focus, but even in such condition it can be seen that the artist was skilled though probably not a Master Painter. An inspection of the frame and canvas itself revealed common construction methods used at the turn of the last Century, offering a date between 1880 to 1915. During this time period it was common for well-off folks to take the Grand Tour of Europe, and indeed easel painting was considered a fine activity for gentleman and ladies alike. I figured the piece was likely the results of a genteel vacation activity; painted en plein air. A later Internet search of the inscribed word "Eibsee" confirmed this suspicion when I discovered the location is still to this day a popular site for tourists; a lake in Bavaria, Germany (ironically the region my own family immigrated from). Though there are artists named with the other inscribed word "Koch", none of them match this piece in painting style or skill level; those artists are high museum quality. So I determined it was worth my $2.50 investment to try my hand at cleaning this very dirty old painting.

Frame is covered in bubble wrap for protection.

At first I used a simple Swiffer type dust cloth to remove the initial layer of debris. I decided not to remove the canvas from the frame, so wrapped the frame with several layers of bubble wrap to avoid any further damage. Placing the whole package onto my artist easel gave me easy access to all areas of the surface, but laying flat on a secure table top works just as well. I then began testing by first using a cotton swab moistened with saliva. It sounds gross, (the painting is gross already anyway), but spit won't soak into the canvas fabric like water and the acids in saliva break down grime without damaging the paint or canvas like a solvent; Do not drink anything other than water if using the saliva method, to avoid transferring food type substances.

Use cotton swabs, not balls, for cleaning any painting. Notice how dirty the swab comes away just from using saliva in a circular rubbing motion; don't over-scrub, being gentle yet firm in stubborn areas of soil. Hold the swab on its side, as shown, for best results. Work a small area at a time with any moist cleaning solution, carefully dabbing and rolling the swab. Working from left to right helps you keep your place to get the whole job done. As soon as a swab is soiled replace it with a clean one. Cleaning a painting takes time, but it can be worth the effort for a beloved piece.

Next, in an area of very heavy soiling I dipped another swab into window cleaner. Though it removed the black streak, it seemed to lift off some of the paint as well, leaving the surface a bit dull and dry looking. The detergents and ammonia in most household cleaners will likely cause cracking of paint or weakening of the canvas later, so just avoid using them at all in your own project. Lastly I used a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and water, which did indeed remove the streaks but simply didn't remove the more general grime as quickly as saliva. For cleaning most oil paint art dilute a solution of 1 cup denatured or rubbing alcohol to 1 cup water. Always use care with rubbing alcohol and remember that it is a solvent that can remove or fog a varnish layer on a painting and will dissolve acrylic paint. Use undiluted rubbing alcohol only to clean frame glass, but avoid using it on acrylic or other glazing materials. Don't lean directly over an item you're cleaning with this solvent to avoid hazardous fumes, and apply a good hand lotion after prolonged contact with skin.

BELOW: before and after areas of cleaning.

Below, vertical streaks of soiling can be seen in this photograph, lessened in appearance already by a quick pass over with saliva dipped swabs.

I've decided to finish cleaning the rest of the painting by using two substance methods. Using circular scrubbing motions with saliva and swab, I'll quickly remove dirt, as shown by the clean streaks in the lake area of the landscape. For more stubborn soiling I'll use the alcohol mixture. Then, when all is as clean as I can get it, I'll go over the entire painting again gently with the alcohol mix, using a less moist swab this time.

referenced:
http://www.mysticgriffin.com/cleaningmoldmildew.htm#180705066

* Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute http://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/care_painting.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eibsee

Travel Zugspitze http://www.ricksteves.com/tvr/pledge/castles/chap_bavaria.htm

Collectible Book Storage Tip

What if you have a collection of books you'd like to keep clean, but can't afford a fancy glass encased book shelf? There is a simple solution that will help avoid dust building up on the tops of your sacred tomes, which is a major cause of soiling and acid damage; add a dust ruffle.

A dust ruffle is a term for a strip of fabric that hangs over an opening to prevent dust from settling inside a space; such as around the bottom of a bed. A dust ruffle doesn't have to be a true ruffle of gathered fabric, and indeed a smooth strip can offer a clean contemporary line of decoration. On a shelf for books, the fabric should hang only about 1/3 to 2/3 of the way down the front so that book titles can still be seen but the spines are covered. Get as creative as you like by adding tassels or even a beaded fringe to almost any type of book shelf. Use Velcro to attach the fabric to the edge of the shelf. Though hot glue works well, Velcro type fasteners allow the fabric to be removed for easy cleaning. Let the fabric catch the dust, not your collectible books!

Big Changes at the Castle

The Curio Castle Shoppe, and myself in truth, are currently going through some big changes. We're currently relocating our real world location (home), and so I thought it best to temporarily close both of my Etsy shops during this time. If you have a favorite item, you can contact me and still make a purchase provided you can afford some patience as we organise the inventory storage. Good customer service and lovable products are always my priority, so I hope to resolve the situation swiftly.
Many thanks!
Tree Pruitt

1 Franc 1948 Saint Pierre and Miquelon Coin

Have you found one of these oddly light weight coins? I did, or rather, found one in my hand as a token of thanks from an old pal. It was so light it felt like something from a Cracker-Jack box, but the art work seemed crisp and well formed so I set it aside with my meager world coin collection for years. Recently, I've decided the trinkets and baubles in my care should pass on to someone who can better enjoy them, so off I went to learn about this coin.

The first thing I did, not being an expert in numismatics at all, was head to Google! I simply typed in some information found on the coin... "1 Franc 1948 Saint Pierre coin". This guided me to two sites that satisfied my historical questions and helped me identify my coin... Wikipedia offered much history text and CourtJester at Numismatic News gave me photos to be sure I had the right coin (see Tuesday, October 02, 2007 entry) . In fact, that blog entry held the best photos I could find, and it's people helping people through blogging that makes the World Web grow!

Collectors don't come upon these "out-of-pocket" in the USA very often, but it still doesn't make this a hugely valuable coin. The one I had was in very good condition for having travelled so long and far. I can't say what it may have been worth, under twenty dollars certainly, but the value for myself was in adding to someones collection and saving the coin from future trash. I let it go for a small handful of bills on eBay to a person I'm sure is happy with the buy, and I'm glad it found a caring home.
Condition is always a strong factor in determining value of anything, but your own desires also have to be considered; what do you want or need? If you need the best possible price you can get for an old coin then take it to an expert for evaluation. Perhaps it could be added to another coin lot at a place like Heritage Auctions, but that will take some time. Having a coin professionally graded can cost $20.00 or more, so this option won't work for all situations, as it's rare to have a valuable coin just floating around. eBay is a good solution for clearing house quickly, and places like Etsy.com and ArtFire.com are allowing crafters to offer old colletables too, with longer running times and a buy now format. You might consider offering your own old treasures there, or even find some new additions to your own collecting addictions! :) As always, I enjoyed learning about this coin before passing it on, and it now dwells in my "E-collection"!

About this coin:
Diameter: 22(mm)
Composition: Aluminum
Date: 1948, circulated

Saint Pierre and Miquelon's only coins were made of aluminium (hence the very light weight) 1 and 2 francs coins struck in 1948, and both were struck at the Paris Mint. Saint Pierre and Miquelon are two small granite islands about 10 miles off the south coast of Newfoundland, in the North Atlantic Ocean. They are all that remains of the French colonial holdings in North America. It was originally claimed by the French in 1604 and later captured by the British in 1702 and held until 1763, at which time they were returned to the French. They passed back and forth between these two powers on six more occasions until they were finally awarded to France by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. During the Second World War, a full set of banknotes was introduced for the islands. In 1945, Saint Pierre and Miquelon adopted a franc tied to the CFA franc, thus avoiding some of the devaluation imposed on the metropolitan currency (c.f. Réunion franc).

New eBay Listings; Charvel, Coins & Crafts

I've a nice collection of items available now on eBay -- super low opening bid prices with no reserves. Exonumia tokens, world coins, books, handmade jewelry, music instruments, and hand crafted art gifts! Current listings should show in the little window below. Please browse and enjoy!