What a Framer can and cannot do

[Kai Vanuffelen]

At times customers come into our shop requesting services of us, that can or should be referred to a conservator. Some of us are capable of carrying out at least one of the following tasks I have listed below in an incomplete list. Do we turn away all these customers and lose the extra (taxfree) income?

- Removing varnish from paintings
- Cleaning dirty varnish on paintings while leaving the varnish on
- Revarnishing paintings
- Relining canvases whereby the a new piece of varnish is attached to the bottom of a worn out canvas or a canvas that is too small for stretching
- Removing old hinges from art on paper
- Cleaning dirty needleworks by washing for example
- Ironing needleworks
- Replacing missing stitches on needleworks
- Killing bugs on needleworks or old frames by placing them in the freezer
- Replacing missing pieces on an old frame
- Placing an art on paper in a bath to remove foxing
- Painting in paintings where paint is missing
- Relining needleworks where the old substrate is worn out or is too short for stretching

 

[Gregory K. Norris CPF]

These services are not tax free in my state.

 

[Jini Lumsden MCPF]

At times customers come into our shop requesting services of us, that can or should be referred to a conservator. Do we turn away all these customers?

Are you comfortable offering any of these services? Are you trained in any of the tasks listed? Why are you motivated to offer additional services beyond custom framing?

Any service offered comes with risks. The question to ask is ... Are those risks worth it?

 

[Ellen Collins MCPF]

Some I do, and some I don't. I'm pretty handy with a needle, so I am happy to offer needlework services. And no, they aren't tax free. And no, I never keep any 'gray' money that floats through the shop. I am so paranoid that the 'gummint' would find out. My mother could always tell when I was lying, and I guess that just transferred.

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

What I actually meant was framing shops in general - not actually the shop I work for.
All the services mentioned I know how to do them and have experimented with them on personal work, but only a few such as restoring old frames I still do.
I was merely trying to find out what other framers do. Are we tempted to take on work we are not qualified to do, but can generate more income. In order to cover tracks, as proof that we actually carried out such services, some may be tempted to not write out an invoice for such services.

It just leaves a question, that there are many services that we as framers no longer do, because of the fear of litigation.
Is the service of relining an old needlework part of the services a framer ought to carry out, or is the framer better off sending these straightforward jobs to a textile-conservator?

 

[Ormond Williams MCPF]

Most of those items in the list, I would not do myself as I am not trained in fooling around with art. A very dangerous game, IMO!

I know how to remove an appendix, but that doesn't mean I should do it. It also doesn't mean I could do it properly or without the loss of life. It also doesn't mean I have ALL the knowledge required to do it with complete safety and the utmost good of the patient.

Likewise, having 'tried it out' is no guarantee that it will always work on everything.

You would need to promise me enough money to burn a wet mule to even try to do most of those items and even then I would refuse to try!


Nooo way, Fay!

 

[John Seamons]

I agree with Ormond on this 100%, where he states "for most of the items on the list."

I have had many "out of square" canvasses brought in for gallery wrap framing, and when explained how some parts of the painting will be seen wrapped around the edge of the stretcher bars, I've been asked if I could paint over this to provide a black outside edge of the wrap all around the frame; my answer is always "NO", either get the artist to do it or do it yourself (in the nicest possible way, of course!). I'm never going to try doing that, or even just touching up a painting where paint is missing. In a similar vein, I won't even iron football jumpers, or cross stitches brought in for framing. I've requested the customers to do that, or have them professionally done, before I would frame them. As for cleaning paintings, I'm happy to get a quote for the customer from a conservator for this task.

The risks, and bad feelings, associated with possible accidental damage to the articles is not something that I wish, or intend, to carry.
As Jini stated, "are those risks worth it?" IMHO, they definitely are not.

But on the other hand, strip lining of canvasses is something I am more than happy to do. Having participated in one of Rob Markoff's sessions on this aspect, and then spending quite some time practicing, I believe that the risks associated with this are fairly low, particularly with the process being removable if necessary. Having undertaken many of these jobs, I have no hesitation in performing this as a general framing task, and charging for the materials and time spent doing it - including paying the tax on the income it generates (well, actually there is some hesitation on this aspect, but I still do it to stay on the good side of the taxman!!)

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

It is good to have a healthy discussion on this topic. In most countries in the western world tax-evasion is frowned upon, whereas in other countries such as Greece it is regarded as a national sport.
I have had customers coming in from a motorcycle-gang and these fellows always pay cash. I never asked where the money came from.

I was just reading the book Pure Agony by the famous British pictureframer Pete Bingham. He describes on page 47 how to remove an engraving from its acidic backing by soaking it in warm water in a photographic tray. At the end he writes:

For the sake of the 'he shouldn't tell people how to do that because we want to keep it black magic'brigade, I will add the caveat that you should behave and tell your customer about the risks involved and should really entrust the work to an expert. Like me. And I'll charge you a lot of money!

On page 45 he recommends for those brave or foolish enough for cleaning paintings in ascending order of strength Vulpex liquid soap, ethyl methyl ketone and toluene.

I sat and passed the GCF Advanced Accreditation in Conservation Framing. One of the areas of proficiency required is.
Types of varnishes for oil and acrylic artwork. Mixing for semi-matt from gloss and matt varnishes, and application to artwork.

Another one is:
Ability to undertake simple frame repair or modification, eg broken or loose corners, mixing colors to touch up damaged paintwork or wood stains, extend or enlarge rebate depths.

It is just a matter of where to draw a line between what a framer can do and what type of work has to be referred to a conservator. I do not think there is such a line.

 

[Ormond Williams MCPF]

We can always learn something from other people's publications, but there always should be a caution applied to anything that is outside PPFA guidelines and current expert knowledge from people such as Paul Storch, Hugh Phibbs and several other very learned people.

I agree with you, Kai that we have to draw a line. IMO the line should be easy to draw for us, unless we wish to gamble with someone else's stuff. There's an old saying that goes something like, 'don't gamble what you can't afford to lose!'. I can't afford to lose anything and I'm no gambler!

 

[Rick Granick]

I have to agree with Ormond on this. Many of these techniques require not only special training and experience, but special equipment, chemicals, and facilities that I do not have. I am also loathe to learn on others' property.
Rick

P.S. I believe it is standard practice to leave old hinges in place unless they are actually causing a problem. Why risk the removal if they aren't? Sometimes these can be re-used with new cross-tabs.