Asian Antiques

We have an oil painting with small pieces of styrofoam stuck to it from shipment. Any ideas for safe removal?

It seems that the oil painting was packed before it was completely dry and that styrofoam used in the packing process stuck to the painting. The painting was packed and sent to us from a family member so it is sentimental and it is not a situation where a shipping company or a seller is to blame. We removed most of the large pieces of styrofoam without causing any damage. However, what remains are many small rice-sized pieces of styrofoam that we cannot remove from the painting without risking damage. We have no experience regarding art restoration. Although there are probably professional solutions involving special solvents, etc., we know nothing about that. We have heard of a household remedy of cutting a potato in half and rubbing the inside part of the potato along the where the styrofoam is stuck. However, we have not yet done anything and are hoping to get good advice from posting this question. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Hi there,

Do you know if the work has been varnished ?
Try to know how much time has the last layer, be it varnish or paint.
Probably what happened is that the styro got heat and «glued».
You also have to be careful so that the product that you may use won’t harm the styro in a way that it won’t «melt» and cause an impression.
You may go to the Wetcanvas Oils’ forum and also post your question there. You’ll have to register, but it’s worthy.
Here’s the link : http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10
You may also check these sites :

http://talasonline.com/

http://aic.stanford.edu/jaic/index.html

Good Luck !

Best regards,

José

http://sitekreator.com/hushcolours/index.html

How to Oil Paint, FREE Oil Painting lesson 1 With Michael Thompson

ARTISTS SPATULAS 5pc set w/WOODEN HANDLES = oil painting, ceramics, jewelers & hobbies $6.99 Use this wood handled offset spatula set for a variety of tasks. Great for artist’s preference, hobbists and many other personal & professional crafts uses….

Modern Oil Painting on Canvas Stretched – Colorful Life Tree $125.99 Stretched: Gallery wrapped and stretched with 1″ wooden frame, the edges are painted and the surface was covered with clear layer to protect the painting, ready to hang. Actual size can be different from the painting size in image….

Kama Sutra Lover’s Paintbox, Edible Body Chocolate $18.00 andquot;For those who think Chocolate is better than Sex, hereandacute;s a way to indulge in your two favorite passions at once! Brush this incredibly Rich Chocolate onto someone you love to love, then tr…

Red Sails in the Sunset $9.98 …

Grumbacher 52516 16-Ounce Gesso (Hyplar) Artists Acrylic Medium Jar $16.52 Grumbacher Acrylic Gesso is a permanent archival painting ground for oil and acrylic colors. The ground can be thinned with water and is designed to improve the permanence of paintings.The Gesso is perfect for use in preparing canvas, wood, un-tempered pressed wood, cardboard, plaster, concrete, masonry, and more….