This Coat of Arms is housed in the Michaelis Collection on Greenmarket Square in Cape Town. The project was challenging, as the museum was open to the public during the time of refurbishment.

Scaffolding had to be erected to access the coat of arms and to provide a thoroughfare for visitors.

After extensive research a colour scheme was developed according to historical references.

The final result shows a lively combination between gilding and paint finishes.

Custom design and manufacturing stands for African Works of Art is very interesting challenge. The task is to provide the artwork with a solid support platform and at the same time keep the stand more or less invisible.
The viewer should appreciate the artwork with as little visual interference by its support structure as possible.

Our stands are custom made for every individual sculpture.
Brass wire is drawn down to a proportional size, formed to support the object and then soldered onto a bottom brass plate.
As a final finish the entire stand is then spray painted mostly in matt black.

Sculptures, because of their size, dimensions or physical make up are in general more difficult to handle then the average painting. Frequently objects get damaged whilst being moved.

Transport over larger distances requires adequate packaging and crating.

Here the unfortunate incidence whereby a fork lift was driven into the crate the sculpture was transported in. The left upper arm was severely damaged.

Restorations of this kind are very intricate and can take a while before being completed.

The cleaning of paintings is a very delicate and time consuming task.

Broadly one can differentiate between:

surface cleaning
varnish removal
removal of over-paint.

Depending on the nature of the substance that covers the original paint structure a variety of solvents, soaps, enzymes and mechanical techniques are at the restorer’s disposal to remove these discoloring layers.

The complexities of the cleaning process should not be underestimated. Paintings, just like their creators, are complex and highly individual by nature.

Here some examples of paintings in their various stages of the cleaning process.

Each and every work requires, deserves and needs specific attention and treatment.

For more then 7000 years, mankind decorated all sorts of surfaces and items that presented an idealistic value with fine layers of gold. For this purpose gold dust or gold leaf was used.

Vassari (1511 – 1574) writes that a gold coin, 1 Dukaten, was beaten into thin sheets of gold leaf and produced between 120 and 145 sheets. Today the same amount of gold produces 1200 leafs with a sheet thickness of 1/8000 mm.
Gold leaf cannot be handled by touching it with the hand; instead fine combs made of squirrel hair are used to transfer the leaf.

The shine of the gold is determined not only by the quality of the metal leaf, but mainly by the constancy and smoothness of the ground and the adhesive used.

Water gilding on gesso and bole can be burnished to a high shine, whilst oil gilding cannot be burnished and presents a more matt finish.
The combination of oil and water gilding, matt and shiny surfaces, produces a lively finish.

Gold leaf comes in a variety of shades and its correct application has virtually an endless life-span.

Gilding in its traditional sense means covering a surface with sheets of Gold Leaf. Broadly one differentiates between oil and water gilding techniques. This was a craft and skill that had to be acquired through rigorous training. After three years of a guilder’s apprenticeship one could call oneself an apprentice and still many years away from being a master.

Henry Bessemer

In about 1840 in Nuremberg Germany, in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, Henry Bessemer invented the mechanized process of manufacturing bronze powder.
After intense research, Bessemer began manufacturing and marketing “a gold paint” which he stated “would preserve the gold colour for as long as possible” at much cheaper prices.

This paved the way for the layman to produce look alike gilded surfaces in a fraction of time for a fraction of the price and was extensively used to fix the odd blemish on the golden picture frame.

However – not all that shines is gold.
This fact of life came to the fore a few years later.

Gold bronze paint is made up of tiny flakes of Brass, Zinc or Copper (depending what shade of gold is required) and was then mixed with a binder. The binding medium can be shellac and other natural resins, oil, cellulose-nitrate based lacquers, and other synthetic polymers based lacquers (polyurethane, acrylics,etc.).

However – Brass, Copper and Zinc are metals that tarnish easy.
An oxidization process aided by the sulfur content in the air darkens the color of the metal and after a few years what once looked like gold had turned into a greenish brownish mess.

Repair work executed with gold bronze paint is not of a durable nature and will cause more damage than cure.

The following pictures illustrate to what extend gold bronze paint can discolor over a period of time.

Well intended, acting as a protective barrier between the work of art and the elements, over time the paper has become a hazard itself.

It disintegrates and fish moths eat it.

Dust and solid objects that have settled between the bottom member of the stretcher and the canvas can cause tenting and paint-loss on the front of the work.

Some times a slightly unusual approach has to be taken to achieve the desired results.

Framing – a very tricky part in the entire process of creating the perfect picture. Here the mere technical aspects of what it takes to build a frame. A wooden moulding, machined, carved or stuccoed, mitered and joined, primed, leafed or painted – that’s your frame. Here some pictures of how a seriously damaged Victorian frame gets transformed into a replica 17th century Dutch frame:

Once I went to visit Vienna in search of a reputable Miniature restorer. I was told there are one or two, but I did not find them. A very rare breed – it seems like – and understandably so.

Miniature restoration is probably the most difficult category in the field of painting restoration.

Why?

Each dot you make in retouching has to hit absolutely the right shade. There is no second chance.

Many Miniatures are painted with water colors on ivory and are unvarnished. You just cannot afford to make a mistake and then try to wipe it off. A lot more will get damaged.

If you have a Miniature that is damaged, my advise to you is, live with it rather than handing it over to an inexperienced enthusiast.

I personally have never restored a Miniature painting, but I have great respect of those who can.

Bringing back life to these enticing little masterpieces is an art of note.

Portrait beofore | portrait after

It does not happen often,but ever now and again one of those cases comes along.
Here someone did not like the original looks of the woman portrayed.
The area of the face was completely over-painted. It was made to look much younger and slimmer.

A case of vanity, desire or insanity? I think it was the double chin :-}

And here another case of rejuvenation and “improvement”

This was amongst the greatest joys I had in painting restoration.
I think Gold Miners must have had similar experiences. Take some time and spot the changes – its quite remarkable.

Painting before

Painting after