Finn-Kelcey Fine Art Restoration

11/05/2025

23/03/2023

This C!8th gentleman was in a sorry state and is another perfect example of a painting in serious need of a new lining. There were a huge amount of old damages that had been restored in the past, probably well over 150 years ago and had since darkened with age. These obviously needed to be cleaned off and re-restored following the lining procedure.

23/03/2023

My heart sank when I saw the condition of this painting by Swedish artist Wahlquist...the worst torn canvas I have ever seen....seriously didn't think I'd be able to do it, but was up for the challenge!!

23/03/2023

LINING or RELINING.

Briefly, this is a procedure which involves application of a new canvas to the back of the painting, to help re consolidate when a picture is badly damaged, or where a canvas may have become extremely thin and fragile with age.
It is a fairly invasive procedure and as such should only be carried out by a professional and only where absolutely necessary.
Tests need to be carried out initially. The paint surface then needs to be protected with marouflage, or facing paper and any torn areas held together. After the painting is removed from it's wooden support or stretcher it is placed face down on the table and the back of the painting cleaned thoroughly.
Meanwhile, the new canvas is prepared and stretched onto a loom. Once both are ready, painting face down, the new canvas still stretched tight on the loom is placed over the top and ironed onto the back of the painting...heat control and careful regulation is essential
A variety of glues can be used depending on the type or age of the painting....modern synthetic resins such as BEVA are used and even good old fashioned beeswax and damar resin is still preferred in some studios.
All restoration and conservation techniques must be reversible!

The following series of paintings will show paintings that we have lined in recent years, from start to finish. Please click on individual photos for description.

23/02/2017

Restoration of the 18th century Dutch flower still life completed.

23/02/2017

The paint was very thin from a previous restoration where the painting had been over cleaned and so the top glaze had perished long ago leaving the cleaned painting looking rather thin. I removed the dirty varnish layer, the overpaints and old restorations. There was one tear to attend to, old water damage along the bottom edge and then the necessary restoration was carried out to achieve the desired result.

23/02/2017

During cleaning of the Dutch flower still life, I found some blue convolvulus flowers on the right and some foliage on the left that had been painted over.

13/02/2017

This lovely C18th Dutch flower still life, was discovered in a sorry state. It was previously "restored", over 60 years ago, with much over-paint, old restorations and a layer of thick shiny varnish. Sadly, it had been over cleaned, so the final top oil glaze was long since gone. In more recent years, the picture had been found abandoned in a garden shed, hanging off it's stretcher, torn and mouldy! So quite a severe casualty!
The front of the painting had to be faced with protective paper and the reverse of the canvas cleaned up in preparation for a new canvas lining. Fortunately, the original wooden stretcher was in reasonable condition and so could be saved and the newly lined painting re-stretched.
Following conservation of the canvas and support, it was then possible to clean the painting and restore the damages. I will show this in the next few posts.

13/02/2017

These miniature portraits were interesting to work on and had various problems, not least of which, an over-enthusiastic aunt of the owner, had attempted to clean them herself, resulting in substantial paint loss!!

09/02/2017

This Italian allegorical portrait came to us in such a terrible state. It was very dirty, covered in old, discoloured varnish and with many areas of paint loss. The fragile canvas was falling away from the old wooden support which was rotten and frail with woodworm. It was necessary to reline the whole painting onto a new canvas and a new bespoke, octagonal stretcher was made. The painting was then re-stretched onto the new stretcher and the cleaning and restoration was then carefully carried out to complete the work.

08/02/2017

Here is a sequence of photos of a Highland Landscape, during the cleaning process. It shows an area of paint loss/damage in the top right hand corner and removal of discoloured varnish in stages. The final 3 photos show the painting cleaned.