When the paint is flaking, blistering or scaling, a condition in which the paint and ground lifts from the canvas, due to the deterioration of the ground (then material used to smooth the canvas before the painting was applied).
The paint then is re-adhered to the painting by strengthening this ground.
This is usually done by impregnating the area with a mixture of Beeswax and Damar resin, known as the Dutch Method.
We recommend the impregnate most canvasses with this mixture as it prevents deterioration of the canvas and the ground, as well as the overall conservation/ preservation of the whole painting.
Beeswax and Damar are molten and mixed together by heating firstly the Damar until dissolved and then slowly adding the Beeswax.
This mixture is applied warm ( 70° -80°C or 160°-175° F).
A mixture such as above doesn't shrink upon solidifying.
Epoxy is sometimes used in those sort of repairs, as it also is non-shrinking due to the lack of an evaporative vehicle, it (epoxy) solidifies by chemical reaction, however great care should be taken with the use of such materials, as those restorations are non-reversible, and no long term experience is available, while contrary to claims, epoxies do deteriorate.
I personally like to dissolve some of this Beeswax and Damar mixture with some pure turpentine and then flood the flaking area with a brush very carefully so as not to disturb the loose pieces but still let the mixture impregnate the area behind and around the flakes and blisters.
Those flakes can then be re-adhered and flattened with a heated palette knife.
After thorough drying I paste some paper over this section, for protection, then after drying I apply paper over the whole painting, this protects the texture of the painting during the ironing process.
Then after drying I turn the picture over and apply the mixture of Beeswax and Damar warm ( 70° -80°C or 160°-175° F ) on the back, then with an Electric Iron, I iron the area down so as to impregnate the whole picture with this preservative mixture, this flattens and re-adheres the blisters and flakes back against the now impregnated and strengthened ground.
Those with flat heated platen can of course do this by vacuum pressing the painting against those platen, this also allows the painting to maintain its texture.
After cooling I then carefully wash the paper away, the examine the result to determine the further processes needed to complete the restoration.
The reason I prefer this, Dutch Method, is that it is reversible, one can always reheat an area and relocate any pieces of flakes, which are not where one wanted them, something which is impossible if epoxy is used. |
