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There is no greater cause of distress for ceramic collectors when their unique ornaments are damaged and end up in pieces. This happened very recently for one of our clients whose precious Goldscheider figurine had severely snapped in multiple places. The figurine is of a young girl with a lamb. It is a very rare… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and advice, Useful articles, Watercolour
When a watercolour has foxing, looking back at the before and after photographs is always fascinating to see the difference we’ve achieved from the restoration. Even when a watercolour is completely covered in marks, there is always something that can be done. You’d be forgiven for thinking when you see the before photos below that… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and advice, Useful articles, Watercolour
Alongside foxing and tears, acid-staining is another very common issue for works-on-paper. The problem stems from when acidic and inappropriate backing materials have been used by the artist or framer, and subsequently, pollutants have leached out into the artwork. Unsuitable materials will have been used for paintings of a certain age when the effects of acid… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and advice, How to ..., Useful articles
It is always a privilege for our team to be able to preserve items which have special historical significance. This was the case recently when we restored a 1940 army beret that was in need of cleaning and restoration. The beret is very special to our client, who wished to have a sympathetic restoration focused… Read more »
The restoration of Ms Wrightson’s family painting was a unique experience for our whole team. It all started with Ms Wrightson enquiring via our website and disclosing fascinating details about her much-admired painting. The painting is by 17th Century Dutch artist Aelbert Cuyp and has been in the family for many years through Ms Wrightson’s… Read more »
It’s always fantastic to see before and after photographs for the ceramic restorations we complete. Each project is unique, and the repairs we carry out still amaze us when it’s impossible to see where the object was ever damaged. The fragile nature of ceramics means they can be easily damaged by accident. Even when they… Read more »
Our latest case study explores the restoration of a mid 19th century watercolour seascape, one of a pair and an original Luigi Renault of the Consul Kestner schooner. Our client came to us rather concerned and discouraged after an antique expert concluded that it would be difficult to treat the painting. The issue with our… Read more »
What would you do if your precious ceramic item was broken into many pieces? That was a question faced by one of our recent clients when a vintage cigar ashtray was accidentally damaged. Instead of being one complete intact ashtray as it had been moments earlier, it was now broken into 10 jagged pieces. Quite… Read more »
We are privileged to receive many unusual and rare objects into the studio every month. When Mr Brown contacted us, he enquired into restoring an item that we had never seen before in the studio; a unique 19th century chessboard he had been given as a gift. Our conservators have experience in restoring a variety… Read more »
When ceramic items are damaged or broken, they can come to us in a variety of pieces and fragments. Whether a ceramic item has been chipped once, cracked in two, or smashed into many pieces, we can achieve a seamless result. In the case of a recent enquiry, our client had artwork on a clay… Read more »
When an oil painting becomes water damaged, its appearance can change dramatically. This was especially true for Mrs Pownall’s family painting after it was damaged by a flood through a ceiling, while being stored under a bed. Before the water damage occurred, there was some discolouration on the sitter’s face, which can most likely be… Read more »
One of the biggest causes of restoration is due to damage in transit. When special items are entrusted to transport companies to be safely delivered it is frustrating when instead they arrive needing repair. For particularly fragile ceramics, safe handling for long journeys is particularly important. For Mr Grisdale, his two ceramic ornaments were damaged… Read more »
When Mr Stoddart’s painting first arrived in the studio, our conservators knew that something very special could be achieved through restoration. The painting was inherited from Mr Stoddart’s father in law and had been hanging for some time on the wall above an open fire. Due to the condition of the painting when it arrived,… Read more »
A very special part of conservation is being able to learn more about the history and provenance of each piece that comes into the studio. For one map that we recently received, we were privileged to learn more about its fascinating place in history, dating back to the Second World War when the map was… Read more »
When Mr Peers’ painting arrived in the studio, our conservators immediately realised the potential restoration had to return the artwork to its original stately manner. At one and a half metres by one metre, the artwork is an imposing portrait of one of Mr Peers’ ancestors, a merchant from London. The subject of the painting… Read more »
Over the years, we have received many wonderful seascape paintings in the studio. Artworks showing seafarers and sailing boats, large ships and grand battles are frequent and very welcome additions to the studio. They are always particularly pleasing for our conservators to clean and restore, due to the difference that can be achieved in the… Read more »
