How To Clean, Display And Store Your Treasured Artwork
Collecting art has always been popular, and now an increasing number of people are buying paintings as an investment. Of course, valuable artwork in your home should be cared for properly in order to maintain its financial worth. But even if you don't collect priceless Old Masters, you may own a much loved display of contemporary pieces by a local artist, or simply be running out of space for your children's treasured drawings. In which case, you'll still need to give some thought as to how to keep your pictures clean, display them appropriately, and store them for easy access and safekeeping.
Keeping Valuable Paintings Clean
Whether you are hanging artwork on your walls or storing paintings for safekeeping, keeping them free from dirt and damage is essential. Mold spores can be lurking in many different environments, but mold develops quickly in warm damp areas. As well as causing allergies, especially in children, mold can cause extensive damage to treasured artwork and frames. For this reason, it is advisable to store pictures in a dry, well ventilated room and to check regularly for mildew and mold on picture frames. Mold thrives on organic material such as paper, so by promptly cleaning the frames, you can prevent it from forming on a painting or drawing. Accumulated dirt can also tarnish a painting, but its build up can be prevented by regularly removing dust from the painting's surface with a very soft, dry brush.
Hanging Your Favorite Pictures
Hanging pictures in a room with stable humidity will stop them from getting damp and attracting mold. Paintings should also be placed away from direct heat or sunlight to prevent them from fading, drying out and aging prematurely. Although it is common to see imposing artwork placed above a fireplace, the heat, smoke and soot of a real fire can seriously damage and darken a picture, so finding another spot for an antique family portrait is advisable.
Storing Your Children’s Masterpieces
Some of your artwork might be pictures your children have created in art classes. Putting a selection of the best pictures in frames will help to preserve them and keep them clean, but you could also protect pictures by laminating them or storing them in a photo album. Larger paintings can be kept flat and well protected in an A3 art portfolio case. If your kids are very prolific artists and you find you are running out of storage space, you could also consider scanning their work onto an art app. When all their pictures are stored in one place, they can easily be shared with friends and family, and made into albums or printed onto keepsakes.
Many different forms of art can be highly valued, from an antique investment piece to a child's treasured first drawing. By protecting artwork from mold and dust, hanging it carefully to avoid damage, and storing it safely for easy access, it will continue to give pleasure without losing its value.