Here’s my new checklist of things to say to a picture framer when I leave a painting in the shop for framing. It’s a small list but it covers the main points:
Don’t try to “improve” the artwork in any way.
Do not spray the painting with water!
Just frame it, please.
If I’d known that these were things I had to explicitly say, a lot of grief, rage, and money would not have been spent in the past few weeks.
To explain:
The prize piece in my art collection: “Polina” by the masterful, Ukranian painter, Vadim Suvorov, needed a new frame to complement the updated colour scheme in my living room; so I took her to the framer I’ve used without issue for 15 years.
Admittedly, I was hesitant to leave her there since she hadn’t been off my wall in a decade, but I told myself not to be ridiculous; warned the framer that she was very special to me; and left her behind. Poor girl. I should have trusted my feelings.
In a bizarre, even surreal, lack of judgement, the framer decided to tighten the canvas by spraying it with water - without calling to ask me for the permission which I would have emphatically refused to give.
The painting shrank irregularly and dramatically, pulling in creases and bulges from the over-stressed staples. It looked ruined. I was devastated, furious, and kicking myself for having decided to do the damned home improvements in the first place.
We all have special artworks, and this one is mine. I bought it at a time when I couldn’t actually afford to buy art, but I couldn’t imagine leaving the gallery in Scottsdale without it. It’s the piece I’d save in a fire. It’s been inspiration and art lesson in one, and I’ve never become oblivious to it as I have many other pieces on my walls. What happened to it was an insult that had me sleepless and grief stricken for a long time.
But don’t despair because this is where the blessed art restorers come in. Phone conversations with gallerists and a local art conservator led me to Fraser/ Spafford Ricci Art and Archival Conservation Inc. in Surrey, BC. Recommenders commented on both the expertise of the team and also the lab’s vacuum bed which allows a painting to be gently humidified and selectively tensioned and flattened. Polina made a trip to Surrey for an assessment which, happily, she passed. The conservation team felt confident that they could get good results. It wouldn’t be cheap, but the framer had agreed to pay for his mistake so the work went ahead.
This is how my poor painting looked before treatment. The raking light image tells the story.
And here’s what it took to resurrect Polina:
It’s been a saga and I’m relieved it ended well for this painting.
We artists put our works out into the world, never knowing if they will simply become decor or if they will be deeply meaningful to their buyers. This painting is definitely the latter, and I’m grateful that there was a caring and meticulous team who could restore her to me. I won’t let her out of my sight again!
I’d love to hear about your unusual experiences with artwork, framing, restoration, and anything related. Feel free to write your sagas in the comments below.
Happy painting!
I can ONLY imagine how devastating this would be!! I’m so glad it worked out in the end! Oy vey!!
Wow! What an ordeal! This post was very interesting though. Thank you for sharing! Beautiful painting...:)