Restoration

Once I had the canvas repairs in place, the indentations on the front of the painting needed attention. The first step was to remove the varnish. At this point I am fortunate to have a good memory. Having done several murals around the same time as this series I assumed the varnish would be of the MSA UVL sort. This means it is oil based… to remove the varnish one uses mineral spirits or turpentine. Applying some high quality paint thinner on the surface it became evident my assumption had been correct. I have since switched to Polymer based varnish for work destined to hang in interior settings. Carefully removing the softened varnish with some rags I noticed some residue on the edges. Upon closer inspection I wished I had chosen a rag which had not been part of a red sweatshirt. Applying more mineral spirits I removed the telltale red fluff and some more varnish then let it dry overnight. Using a very thin coat of molding paste I reconstructed a similar irregular surface to the painting, filling in the indentation and let it dry overnight too.  Matching the paint is the final chore. This could pose a problem for some. It depends on the style and the degree of finish in the painting. For me it should be a easy fix as grass is varied in colour, tone and texture. A quick re-varnish and all will be done. Life is good.