Glad I'm NOT a conservator!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cliff Wilson
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Cliff Wilson

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Woman comes in with an old pastel. Mold spores on it in about 6 places.

We call in my local conservator. Good guy. Knows what he's doing. He gives her a quote of about $300. She, of course, freaks out. Wanted to spend about that much WITH a rematting and mounting job. (reuse the not bad frame)

The matting and mounting comes to just over $200 (includes a fillet). With all kinds of caveats and "I could totally ruin it!" disclaimers, I agree to give it a try.
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I don't have an aspirator (right word? a soft gentle vacume device?), so, I disassemble it outdoors and use a VERY soft brush to gently remove the mold spores. Then I retouch 2 places (this is why I agreed to it! I paint with pastels and I was itching to see if I could do this!) Total time about 1/2 hour. Charged her $50.

BUT, it was one of the most nerve racking things I've done! every step you feel like you could ruin the piece! Wouldn't want to do this on a regular basis! Won't do it again. :eek:

Customer was thrilled. Had a couple of local artists in and they couldn't find where I did my work, so I guess I did ok.
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I warned her that although you couldn't see any mold now, there was probably some dormant and she should not keep it in a moist or warm environment. She said it would be in an air conditioned house. We'll see.

This is something I am glad I did ONCE!
 
We'll know where to send our conservator jobs from now on. :0 Thanks Cliff!

Mike
 
Cliff, your comments indicate that you were unsure how to do the work. You got lucky, didn't you? Will you tempt fate so easily again, or has this experience turned you away from low-budget conservation attempts?

What happens when the mold comes back?
 
I think we've all done things that we don't want to do again. It helps us appreciate those that do these things professionally.

Shaping a moulding from scratch and building a large Acrylic box are two things that come to mind. Some of you do these things routinely, but for me they were both lessons in humility.
 
Cliff,

I would not have attempted it... like my post yesterday - I have drawn the line in the sand for what I can and can't or will or won't do...

Yes, the challenge and immediate success feels great - but the return of the mold will definitely pose a problem.

I have always approached projects like this one that fall outside my skills and abilities, with the "What would I do if it were mine?" attitude. And those that I take on - I too am usually pleased with the results.

Out of curiosity - what would the conservator done that would/could eliminate the mold - being the major problem with it? And maybe this is an area you may wish to get more involved with in the future!?!?
 
Actually, what I did was follow the directions of the conservator I usually use. He came in and said "I know she won't pay me, so this is what you do ..."

The piece was "found" in her parents basement. Very warm wet environment. Thus the mold. The mat on it was water stained and warped! She plans on hanging it in her home. We talked it over with the conservator and he felt there was a good chance for it, but no guarantees.

It was a nice painting of peaches spilling out of a basket. Most of my work was on the basket part. Of course she picked it up so quickly, I didn't get a picture!

The conservator said even he couldn't guarantee the difinitive ellimination of the mold. If I understand it right, what I did probably "spread" (not visible) mold spores to other parts of the painting where they will lie dormant until things feel good again. He would have "vacumed" them VERY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY. This would have removed more spores, but still would not guarantee they were gone.
 
And the paper work - don't forget the paperwork. :rolleyes:

Before and after photos, written description, condition report, treatment report. These are real time gobblers.

Spores are everywhere anyway, though once activated they can reactivate under lower RH conditions than usual.

Exposing the object to ethanol fumes can help kill them, but of course the right (wrong) environment will start the whole cycle again.

Rebecca
 
When I was young & stupid -
Now just older & a teensie bit wiser -
My mother had a tinted photograph on canvas of her grandparents (my great-grandparents) that had been stored in her basement (why?) Became moldy on the back side only of the canvas - the front was covered w/ glass. After letting it dry out for several days, I lightly brushed off the powdered mold and then - ready?
Used a diluted solution of Clorox Bleach & water on a terry-cloth rag and cleaned every nook & cranny of the back of that canvas. Cleared it of the mold (and the smell) and luckily didn't harm the photo (we still have it).
However, with what I know now, I probably would never attempt it.
 
Only thing I do not understand is why framers will take on projects like this one, along with the stress and liability, then turn around and do it for next to nothing. It does not make sense to go through all of that for fifty bucks.

If you were trying to get the framing job, you should have offered to wash her car for five bucks. Whole lot easier, no stress, very little liability. Maybe go over to her house and cut the lawn for her, less time, no stress, you get the framing order.

Now that I think about it, you could establish that as a permanent promotion. Free car wash or lawn cutting with any framing order over, say, ten dollars. Now that would be some shrewd retailing.

How would you like it if conservators started offering next to free framing with every order?

"Any idiot can give it away."...... Len Aaron, Aaron Brothers.

Stop working for free, just does not make sense.

John
 
Oh, Cliff, I know just what you mean! I always think, "I could do this. Just let me try a little." and it usually turns out swell. But occasionally it goes South, and fast and bigtime. Now I only do it if either the customer is someone I count as a REALLY good friend or a little old lady who can't see so well anyway. hehehe
I think the real problem lies the Twofold Natural Flaw of the Framer. First we are naturally cheap ourselves (as a whole that is) and then we are always anxious to help (I notice a lot of framers come to the profession from other helping industries such as nursing)
Most times it works and then we look back and realized that we just dodged a big ol' bullet!
 
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