How should I store original artwork at home to prevent deterioration?
The two biggest threats to artwork in a home are fluctuating humidity and UV light. Aim to keep relative humidity between 45% and 55% and avoid hanging pieces on exterior walls, above radiators, or in direct sunlight — even indirect UV through a window causes fading over time. For works on paper, store flat in acid-free folders or boxes rather than rolled. If you are stacking canvases, place a sheet of glassine between them to prevent surface contact. Climate-controlled interior walls, away from kitchens and bathrooms, are generally the safest spots in a typical Okanagan home, where summer heat and winter dryness can be extreme.
What should I look for when assessing whether a painting has been restored before?
The most reliable non-invasive method is to examine the surface under raking light — hold a torch at a very low angle to the canvas. Previous in-painting (retouching) often shows a slightly different texture or sheen compared to the surrounding original paint. Under UV light, old varnish fluoresces a greenish colour while newer varnish or retouching appears dark, making repairs visible even when they are invisible in normal light. Craquelure patterns — the network of fine cracks in aged paint — should be consistent across the whole surface; an area with a different crack pattern or no craquelure at all is worth examining more closely. For any painting with significant value, a written condition report from a professional conservator is always worthwhile before purchase.
How do I know which matboard colour will complement my artwork rather than compete with it?
The most reliable starting point is to pull a neutral mid-tone from the artwork itself — not the brightest colour, but a quieter one that recurs throughout the composition. Off-white and warm cream mats work with the widest range of subjects because they do not introduce a competing hue. A coloured mat should echo a secondary or background tone in the piece, never the dominant one. Width matters as much as colour: a mat that is too narrow makes the artwork feel cramped, while one that is too wide can dwarf a small piece. As a rough guide, the mat border should be at least 6 cm on all sides for a medium-sized work, with the bottom border 1–2 cm wider than the top to correct for the optical illusion that makes equal borders appear bottom-heavy. Always view your mat and moulding samples together in the same light as the room where the piece will hang — gallery fluorescents can shift colour perception significantly.
