Prep for Hurricanes

Art Restoration Services

ART FOR LIFE

"If I could say

it in words, there

would be no need

to paint."

Edward Hopper

ART FOR LIFE

"Life isn't long enough for love and art."

W. Somerset Maugham

(1874-1965)

"Life is a great

big canvas and you should throw all the paint you

can on it."

Danny Kaye

TESTIMONIAL

"After Hurricane Katrina,

I rescued what I could

of my paintings as well

as artwork I had collected

over the years. At first,

I though I would have to

toss the lot. Everything

was coated with what we

soon tagged as

"Katrina Patina" --

brown smelly mud.

Under this mud,

grew mildew. I located

Joseph James Patti,

art restorer, through the

Art Association in

Pensacola, Florida.

As a result, my oil

paintings, looking better

than they did when I

painted them, are back

hanging in my home.

Joe Patti brought back to

perfect all the artwork of

my past. Without his

expertise in restoration,

painting, framing and

matting, I would have lost

many of the images that

have been with me

through my life."

Christine May

Mississippi

Preparing for Hurricanes & Severe Weather

weather report, boarding up & battening down

No one can live in Florida and not dread June 1. Not because it's the end of the school year but because it's the first day of hurricane season. But having lived in "hurricane alley" for seventeen years now, I've come to expect -- and live with -- the inevitable. We've got our plans in place (something all good hurricane watchers do) and know how to board up and batten down. We've learned how to cook spaghetti on the grill, play scrabble by candlelight, stand in line for ice and live without air conditioning in 100º temperatures for weeks at a time in the middle of a southern summer.

Several years ago, when Hurricane Ivan ripped through the Pensacola area, I also came to understand the absolute devastation that 135 mph winds and 40-foot salt water waves can cause to art.

That's why, along with securing windows and doors, storing away outdoor furniture and moving cars away from oak trees, there are things that can be done to protect art.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed -- as happened to a client. In preparing for one hurricane she removed a huge painting from the wall, wrapped it in heavy plastic and gently placed it on the top of her bed. Because she was on the top floor of a beachfront condominium she felt safe that waves wouldn't rise up to that level. Well, she was right. They didn't.

Unfortunately, the waves didn't come up but the rain did come down -- flooding through the air conditioning vents and draining right down on guess where? Yes, her bed. Had the painting remained on the wall it would not had been damaged. So much for Murphy's Law.

So...if you live anywhere within breathing room of a hurricane -- or any foul weather -- here are a few things you can do to HOPEFULLY protect your art. Of course, anything can happen when it comes to Mother Nature....

before the storm:

1. You have a choice to make. The only guarantee for safeguarding your paintings during a hurricane is to hire a truck and pack them away with you when you evacuate.

2. Place your art in airtight heavy plastic bags or containers and seal with duct tape. An airtight container may safeguard your works even in standing water for at least a few days.

3. Store the art as high as possible from the floor and keep it away from windows. Do not store them on a bed or sofa because ceilings may collapse onto the artwork. A high shelf in a closet is a good idea.

4. Crated art will save the artwork from being hit and damaged by flying debris.

5. Be sure to take photographs of all your art and keep the purchase receipts if you have them. Photographs of what the art looked like before the storm will greatly assist you, the appraiser and the insurance company is settling claims.

after the storm

1. Immediately remove art from their frames if there is any evidence of water damage on either the front or back of the painting. Water causes dangerous mold and mildew -- dangerous for the painting and for your health. A reliable framer can also safely remove the art for you.

2. Gently - very gently - wipe off any mud or saltwater from the artwork using a soft dry cloth.

3. Don't use an electric heater, hair dryer or any heat device to try to dry out the paintings. Air dry is the best.

4. Under NO condition should you use soap on any artwork including oil, acrylics, watercolors, etc. Soap is incredibly damaging to art since it dries, hardens, seeps into paint cracks and causes clouding. Think about how your skin feels with dried soap.

5. Do not use any chemicals to clean your paintings. Professional restorers wear protective glasses, masks and gloves. Our years of experience have taught us what chemicals are safe to use to repair damage and prevent further damage.

When to call a professional

1. Any indication of mold or mildew on canvas or paper art.

2. Even after initial removal of mud and debris, the painting still needs to be cleaned by a professional to remove mildew and saturated chemicals left by the storm (especially any art that may have come in contact with waste or sewage).

3. No matter how bad a painting may look, it it highly likely that it can be repaired. For evidence, browse through our BEFORE AND AFTER PAGE for paintings severely damaged by hurricanes

Art restoration services by

Joseph James Patti

5733 Quintette Road, Pace, Florida 32571

850-994-9974 ● 850-380-0881 (cell) ● jjpart@bellsouth.net

Website by IAPWORDS / Contact at iapwords@bellsouth.net