Caring For Yor Investment

Since artwork is an investment, and you are the steward of that investment, it is important that you know how to care for your artwork. Here are some tips for keeping your artwork in the best shape as possible.

Original Artwork should be kept away from UV light sources. The sun's damaging rays can fade the pigments in your painting. Hang artwork where it won't be accidentally bumped into or touched. Keep solvents and liquids away from the artwork. If you need to clean dust off, use a very soft and flexible paint brush and gently brush the surface. Pretend you're an archaeologist on a dig, g-e-n-t-l-y ... Avoid those spray cans with compressed air because they can cause moisture to appear on the surface of the painting and that's what you want to avoid. If your painting is an oil and it is yellowing, you may want a professional to restore it. Your local frame shop witll know how to do it or at least who to recommend. The "do-it-yourself " kits could be a risky bet. I don't recommend them.

Beacuse giclee prints are made with archival materials they have as much a chance of surviving the elements as an original painting does. Your giclee on canvas can be cared for like an original painting on canvas. Remember, even if it is coated with a sealant or laminated, it is still not waterproof. (It's not anything like the lamination used on your driver's license). Keep solvents and liquids away from it at all costs. If you are stretching your own giclee canvas (not recommended) be very careful of stretching it too taught. The material can crack or separate if not handled properly.

Care for your giclees on paper as you would a fine art photograph. You will want to have it matted and framed. This will keep it lying flat and protect it from dust, scratches and fingerprints. For more humid regions you may want to consider anti-mold measures. Your frame shop can help you with this.

When framing your pastels and charcoal drawings, you want to avoid static electricity. This is extremely difficult at times. Static will iterally pull the pasteI drawing right off the paper over time. Use glass with the UV protective coating as opposed to plastic glazing or plexi-glass. Be sure to use a thick mat with a spacer or multi-mat design to keep the surface of the drawing as far from the glass as possible. Reverse bevels work well at hiding any fallen particles. Keep in mind that you cannot "dust" a piece of artwork made entirely of small particles. Think about it. You will want the piece framed with a backboard and dust cover to protect the artwork from dust getting inside your frame system. Luckily, most frame shops know exactly what to do, so having a professional frame the piece for you is your best option. In the meantime, it's best not to handle it too much, just get it to the shop as soon as you can. Also, remember when transporting it in a car to lie it flat on it's back so the vibrations won't cause particles to fall off.

Copyright Protection

An artist's artwork is considered intellectual property. Copyright laws protect this property from being used, reproduced or altered without permission.

When you buy a piece of artwork, an original or a reproduction, you are not authorized to make reproductions of it or use it in any way, especially for profit, unless given written permission by the creator. This includes commissioned pieces. If you are going to use the commissioned artwork for anything other than your own private personal enjoyment, then you must have written permission for a specific use or release of copyrights from the artist.

Most artists will require a royalty fee for any public use of their property. It all depends on who will be seeing it, and what kind of profits it will inspire. As a collector, you are the steward of this property and it is your responsibility to protect it from copyright infringements by yourself or others.

For more about copyright laws see this very helpful and easy to read public document.