Storing Artwork
© by Carl
(CAKUart); all rights reserved
Let's face it, not all of us want to sell
all of our work. As a result, storing artwork safely is a factor
we need to consider when holding onto those 2 paintings each year.
Two paintings? What do I mean by that?
Well, I have this theory that each artist
should try and hold onto at least two pieces of their work each
year.
"Yeah but Carl, I only produce two
pieces each year!"
Gosh, then you
do have a dilemma (wink).
But seriously, most artists selling their
work produce a lot more work than just two pieces a year. So I
encourage those that do produce a healthy batch of work each
year; to try and hold onto a couple of pieces each year for
prosperity.
As you grow as an artist, and the more
renown you become as artist, so does the value in your work
increase. So think of holding onto a couple of pieces each year
as investing in your own work.
I know of artists who successfully sell
their work and sell absolutely everything they produce… all of
the time.
When I first started selling my art, I
subscribed to the same theory of selling everything I produced -
until I was advised by a wise soul. This lady, a great artist
in her own right, encouraged me to hold onto some of my own work
for the future. She enlightened me on the point I just
made before; to invest in your own work.
Storing Artwork Safely
There is no question that when it comes to
storing your artwork you need to ensure that the storage environment
is free from a lot of traffic. Additionally, you should ensure the storage area
is limited in extreme temperature
changes. Avoid an area that is prone to humidity.
I have quite a bit of room in
my studio.
This is great because it allows for storing artwork I want to
keep. But a lot of artists don't really have the facilities for
storing artwork without cluttering their home or studio space.
So when it comes to storage space, it pays
to be a little innovative.
I stumbled across a few great tips for
storing artwork on Nita Leland's
site. Nita has compiled a page
that offers brief summaries from fellow artists who have
contributed their ideas for storing artwork at home and in the
studio.
Artwork Storage Wrapping
For big pieces, I use wooden slats to stack
my work vertically. The slats allow for a gap so air can freely
flow under the edges of the canvas. This essentially keeps my
work directly off the floor.
To cover and protect from dust; I have my
work wrapped in large sheets. The sheets are light and allow for
air, and they are not directly wrapped to the surface of the
painting. I know of some artists who use silicone release paper,
so this is something you may want to consider also.
If you are storing framed paintings, you
may want to consider bubble wrapping your artwork - particularly
on the edges. Ideally, you'll want to prevent the wrap from
touching the surface of the artwork.
Unfortunately I have experienced first hand
the problems associated with packing wrap touching the surface of
my artwork.
On one occasion, varnish from my painting
became sticky, which was caused from the humidity in the room.
As a result, the surface of the painting actually stuck to the
bubble wrap. I damaged the painting slightly when trying to
separate the bubble wrap from the surface of the painting. So
this is why I recommend that you avoid any type of material from
resting on the surface of your artwork.
In addition
to this, try to ensure that you don't have other objects or
clutter surrounding your artwork. In the past I have been forced
to store some of my work in an area that had a lot of
non-artwork items. On one occasion a stack of boxes fell and
landed on a couple of my paintings and completely ruined
them.
So the big
tip is to make sure your artwork has it's own area, free from
all other household items and studio equipment.
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