Art Conservation is the stabilisation of art works, to create a situation which prevents the deterioration of the article. This may involve the hands on conservation of an art work or the reframing or the changing of storage or display conditions of the works. Conservation is different from restoration, in that restoration generally involves changing the appearance of the art work to bring it back to what it may have looked like when it was new. Sometimes restoration work involves processes which may ultimately be detrimental to the long term health of the art work. This is naturally the choice of the owner of the piece and what their desire is.

Conservation work is usually more associated with museum practices and restoration work with commercial demands. Private clients naturally choose what they wish to achieve depending on their personal situation. A family document which will never have any commercial value would likely be best served being conserved to maintain its integrity for future generations, but a work of art being considered for sale may require some restoration and conservation work to achieve a higher sale price.

I offer conservation and restoration services on paper based artefacts including watercolours, drawings, documents and photographs. The desire of the client and the condition of the article are carefully considered before a treatment proposal is submitted. A quote for the proposed treatment will also be offered free of charge. If the treatment becomes more complicated and therefore more expensive I will contact you to discuss the options before continuing.