The Care and Cleaning of Your Art Piece

My art invites you to look closer. Texture, color, and changing light are part of the experience. Caring for it starts with understanding the particular piece you have, rather than treating every surface the same way.

This guide covers general care for my canvases and sculptures. Instructions supplied for your individual artwork take priority. Wearable pieces, lamps, and functional objects may need different guidance.

Start with your specific piece. If you are unsure about cleaning, handling, or lighting, email info@alchemistartist.com with its name and a clear photograph. Please ask before experimenting with a cleaner.

Cleaning starts with the finish

A resin surface, exposed paint, and a textured area can require different treatment, even within the same artwork. A glossy appearance alone does not establish that a surface is washable.

Canadian Conservation Institute cleaning guidance explains why water, solvents, and even dusting can damage painted surfaces. Until the method is confirmed for your piece, avoid wiping, scrubbing, spraying, or applying household cleaning products. Contact me about dust, stains, or spills.

Choose a gentle place to display it

The Canadian Conservation Institute’s display guidance recommends avoiding direct sunlight, heat, and abrupt environmental changes for paintings. For these mixed media works, a sheltered indoor location is a conservative starting point while you check the individual piece’s requirements.

Keep artwork away from cooking splashes, smoke, damp areas, and heaters. Use hanging hardware appropriate to its weight, and give sculptures a stable surface.

Enjoy the changes in light

Not every piece glows. Check the artwork description to see which lighting effects belong to yours. The photographs in my collections show the work under the lighting conditions named in their captions.

In ordinary light

Look at the color, raised surfaces, and reflections. This view is part of the work, with its own details to discover.

Under a blacklight

This means the photograph was taken while a blacklight was illuminating the piece. It should not be confused with a photograph taken in darkness after the light has been switched off.

Glowing in darkness

For pieces with phosphorescent pigments, light exposure can produce an afterglow once the light is removed. Its brightness and duration depend on the pigments and lighting conditions. Touching the artwork does not charge those pigments.

Ask me which light source and exposure are appropriate for your piece. Do not use prolonged sunlight or UV exposure as a care or sanitizing method.

Touch and handling

Some of my work is intended for tactile exploration. Follow the instructions for that particular piece before touching its surface. Texture does not automatically mean every raised detail can be pressed or handled.

When moving artwork, support its structural base or frame. Avoid pressure on painted surfaces and canvas, and do not lift a sculpture by an attached decorative element.

If something changes

If you notice cracks, loose material, a sticky surface, or an unexpected change, stop handling or cleaning the piece. Photograph the affected area and contact me. Damage to painted surfaces may require a qualified conservator.

A little care, more time to enjoy it

Your artwork does not need a complicated ritual. It needs a suitable home and care that respects its materials. If you are uncertain, send me a photograph. I would much rather answer a question than have you guess.

Sources and further reading

These references provide general painting conservation guidance. They do not certify a cleaning method for every resin, pigment, or mixed media combination in my work.