Featured Hello, How Do I Preserve An Old Watercolor ??

Hello, Just wondering what is the best way to preserve old watercolor. I picked this up last year at thrift store. Artists name is Dudley Moore Blakely. You can see D.M. Blakely 1932 lower right on painting. Iv'e included in pics a little info on artist. He was known for his "Diorama". Not sure what that is but, I love the painting!! How do I keep it preserved??

 

Best approach IMHO is to take this to a professional frame shop that can take it out of the frame and replace the mat and whatever the paper is attached to in the back with archival, acid-free materials. Depending on how the paper is secured, that might also include removing old tape.

Another thought is that you should consider the pros and cons of new glass (can be discussed with framer in better detail than I can provide.) But glass that would protect against fading from sunlight may not be necessary if where you hang it gets no sun.

 

His dioramas are the background paintings he did for the AMNH & preumably Cranbrook. They give the illusion that the taxidermied animals are in their natural habitat & that you can see into the distance.

 

Thank you, right now it is in room that gets no sun. Also in summer i put ac on to keep humidity low. I'm guessing humidity would not be good. Thanks for the info.

 

Well, just don't hang it in the bathroom.

 

Interesting!! I did see one of his paintings that had what looked like a deer.

 

Since he also did magazine illustration, this is presumably one he did showing a display he worked on for a museum publication.

 

Whoever matted it didn't do a great job. Looking at the watercolor they covered up some of the actual artwork itself. When they go and remove the matting it's going to leave a huge stain where the matting was if you decide to get a new frame and matting. There is a nice chunk of artwork left underneath that matting. Unfortunately it's probably stained up by now.

 

Those little guys are Dik-Diks from Africa

 

Thank You, that would make sense, he did some work for the Akeley Hall of African Mammals.

 

They are cute little critters