Each painting has its own story, and its own challenges. In this selection of past painting conservation projects from my Mill Hill studio, you’ll see the transformations possible through expert care. From surface cleaning to complex repairs, every piece is treated with respect, precision, and a deep understanding of its artistic and historical value.
This small landscape has been painted on tinplate. Metal is one of the very oldest supports for oil painting, and tinplate has been used for centuries. Characterised by its smooth and rigid surface, the tin support has allowed this artist to execute finely detailed brushwork. As the metal material is non-absorbent, the paint has been thinly applied with the artist taking advantage of the vibrancy and intensity that the tin support lends to the colours.
This painting presented with a widespread splattering of white paint drops across the whole canvas. The owner suspects emulsion paint but does not know for certain.
This icon is reminiscent of the Vladimir Mother of God (Theotokos of Vladimir), with the characteristic intimate pose between Mary and Christ. Some losses of paint in yellow-gold area around Madonna’s head. Some losses in the area of her chin. Net cracks, drying and aging cracks. A couple instances of cupping. Some overpainting evident to naked eye around Madonna’s chin and in the drapery covering her shoulder.
While the support is in good condition, the linen canvas is not. It has separated from the strainer around 3 edges – clearly it has not been secured for some time as the canvas is distorted, wavy and bulging. This suggests that it has been exposed to moisture. There are several tears, ranging in size from 1.5cm to 4cm in length. The paint surface suffers from significant areas of fugitive paint, although there is little craquelure and no obvious cleavage. Some retouching is visible to the naked eye, and there is a layer of surface dirt and yellowed varnish.