After you  buy that beautiful painting, how do you  present in at home in a way that  makes it stand out and that can guarantee its longevity?  

Surrounding ourselves with beautiful art is not a luxury, it is a necessity for quality living in our hectic world of run, work, earn. It is often the simplest things that give us a moments pause to re-group, to come back to center and to rejuvenate to be ready to face the next crisis head on.

Through sites like EBay it is easier than ever to enjoy surrounding yourself with  quality Fine Art of your taste by emerging and world class artists. Whether a piece of art is created in acrylic, oils, water color, pencils or mixed media and collage like techniques - AND whether it is on canvas, paper, or masonite wood panels - there are some easy ways to protect it and  ensure it gives you years of pleasure as well as  making sure it continues to increase in value.

The culprits creating the most damage to paintings of any kind are intense light and moisture. The next biggext destroyers are the use of inapporpriate materials for hanging and display.

 Always try to avoid hanging an original work of art where it will be in  direct sunlight for any extended perieds of time. Also avoid harsh halogen lighting, or other lights that have intense ultraviolet rays. If you are framing your works or having them framed professionally, there are now many museum grades of glass available to both protect from reflected glare and to filter harmful UV rays. You should STILL avoid direct harsh light. May forms of art mediums - water colors, colored pencils, some oils, even some types and colors of acrylic paints can fade and vanish over time when exposed to bright light.

When hanging a framed canvas that is not under glass (oil and acrylic) make sure it has been properly stretched and fitted to the frame. Many museum curators suggest having the canvas affixed to a thin wood panel to avoid the expansion and  contraction that can occur dues to temperature and humidity changes .. and that can cause aging paint to crack. Even if the work has been created ON a masonite or wood panel  be sure it has been properly varnished and sealed to protect from dirt and humidity.     

 When matting and  framing works on paper  under glass always be sure you use the finest acid free matte-boards and foam core backing available. Mattes that contain natural wood acids can yelllow and destroy a work of art in  only a very short time. Whether it is an original work or a fine print, a piece that should have been a family heirloom for centrues can lose its worth in  one lifetime. 

Aways make sure that the framer has secured the artwork with linen tape (never masking tape). Make sure that the artwork is secured in the frame, with adequate backing to protect it. Also it is important to include a covering over the entire back of the work (called a dustcover) to help retard moisture build up and to protect the painting from the  rear.

Framing and presentation is NOT always cheap. But do yourself (and the artist who's work you've invested in)  a  favor and  make sure you  invest the extra money into quality framing products, so your collection will last a long time and fill your life with the peace of mind and the pleasure of ownership you purchased it for. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about my own work and  my framing.