DECOR Take good care of your artwork

Special care is required to keep paintings looking their best.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
How can you keep your precious art looking new when so many things can harm it? Heat, humidity, air pollution, improper handling and storage are all demons poised to devour beautiful art.
First, let's talk about the weather. As you know, relative humidity is the measured amount of moisture present in the air at a certain temperature. The warmer the air, the more possibility of moisture exists, creating things like mildew, mold and fungus. In another part of the country the air might be very dry, producing dehydration. That will make objects brittle, shrink, flake, crack and split. Both of these extremes will surely play havoc on art, be it a painting, sculpture or just about any craft.
Light also can have an adverse affect on art, particularly strong sunlight. But even prolonged exposure to a hot, intense lamp can be damaging. Discoloration is one of the problems caused by light. Another is cracking or flaking due to the overexposure to the heat emitted from the light.
Now that we know the problems, we can seek a few solutions. Simple. Air conditioners, dehumidifiers or humidifiers, depending on climate, will surely counteract the majority of the temperature problems. Ceiling fans are great aids to these machines as they keep the conditioned air circulating.
Lighting
Keep art away from direct sunlight. What about that special lighting you had installed just for the oil painting? Will it cause problems? Prolonged exposure, as in a museum where the lights are constantly on a piece of art, would be something to worry about, but in a home, where the artwork is usually only lit in the evenings for a few hours, such light shouldn't be problematic. Just use caution and common sense; do not put the light source too close to the art.
When moving paintings, use care in handling them. Always support them from the bottom. Picking them up from the top imposes undue stress on the frame, which might weaken the joints. And never, never touch the painting itself -- even if you just washed your hands. The natural oils and acids in your skin will not mix well with the painting.
To store paintings, lay them flat. If two or more are stacked, separate them with tissue paper. And if two or more are stacked be sure they are the same size; you might end up with the impression of the smaller one on the big one if stored for a long time.
Fine art is an investment. It needs as careful attention as any other investment.