Little repair Job

[DaveHawk]

Customer brought this in. She said the cleaning lady brought her cat to work and the cats went bizerk .

I want to share this so you can see old painting can be saved 1811.

Repair process: I diluted the Damar crystals last night , this morning heated with a % of bees wax , cut the linen strips. I use linen so the Damar can carry the bees wax through. Now waiting for dry. I needed to reline the edges with a rabbit skin glue to restretch the painting once finished. The edges had become very brittle. Waiting for the Damar and wax mixture to harden up. If at any point the repairs get damaged A little heat will help remove the linen strips to make a new repair. Everything in painting conservation needs to be reversible for , just in case down the road. Now I am waiting for the Damar and wax to harden.

 

[noharleyyet]

I would think repairing a nice oil is the ultimate challenge.

 

[1_pointer]

Way cool! We had a very large oil painting in our fraternity house that we had to have repaired. I can only imagine the amount of work that one took. I guess we should have taken the Smithsonian up on their offer to buy it before having a drunken food fight...

PS- If I was your client I'd be looking for a new cleaning lady and/or the cleaning lady would be looking for some new cats...

 

[DaveHawk]

It is a challenge but one that requires a lot of knowledge and practice to pull off. This is my favorite kind of work. It takes everything I have learned over the past 40 years to complete the Job.

Harley, A few years ago the Architect of the US Capital called me down to do a job. She asked me if I am a AIC member (American Institute for Conservation) I told her I was not an she said I needed to be to work with them. I told her I guess I'm not working with you.

Very snobby Org. I'm old school learned by a master and curtinitlly don't need the hassles of when and where I can work not to mention the BS getting in the and out of the Capital or DC for that matter.

Hopefully soon I'll be out of this jungle.

 

[noharleyyet]

Dave, I'm surprised they don't make you join the SEIU.

 

[DaveHawk]

Dave, I'm surprised they don't make you join the SEIU.

Harley I'm independent and don't need no Union that's for sure. Right now we are redoing the elevator cabs at the Watergate and a few weeks ago I did a ride with a group of guys and one of the guys was a MGR of a union shop that only did elevators cabs and was surprised they gave the job to a independent.

 

[DaveHawk]

Just about dry. Tomorrow it will be ready to start the touch up

 

[DaveHawk]

Just about done with this. I had to remove the strip repair fearing they would not hold under the re stretching on to the frame. I remounted the painting on a new canvas backing and got 100% adhesion. Then started the touch up process. Filling the cracks with a pumas (rotten stone) and gesso or whiting mixture. Sanding the surface smooth the laying glaze coats to get the artist Coloring as close as I can. I have about an hr left for glaze coats to go. 4 or 5 more tones. Then the re stretching on the frame

 

[noharleyyet]

Can you show my guys how to make a stucco patch that indiscernible?

 

[DaveHawk]

So you need me to stop by tx on my return trip lol