The Blue Mountains’ fully qualified and

highly experienced paintings conservator

K.S. Art Restoration offers the following:

art

Based in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, NSW

Highly trained with Australian qualifications

25+ years of experience in Australia and Europe

High level of workmanship to art museum standards

Very competitive hourly rates

Quotes and initial assessments are free.

Contact me

What K.S. Art Restoration does

Repairing and preserving old and damaged paintings is what I do best. It doesn’t matter if you have a painting of artistic or cultural importance, if it has financial value or sentimental value. Whether it needs a major restoration treatment or just a light clean. Every artwork is treated with TLC, because I genuinely love paintings.

Do you have a traditional or contemporary painting, by an Australian indigenous, non-indigenous or international artist? I have experience in all these categories. Stabilising and preserving your artwork for the future is just as important as restoring the original aesthetic. Because you want your artwork to last for the long-term, not just to look good in the short term. All materials used are archival and reversible. This is combined with a museum approach of minimal intervention, and a focus on the artist’s intention.

To find out more about my training and experience visit the About page here.

Before treatment

After treatment

Before treatment

After treatment

To view more before and after treatment photos, visit the Gallery Page here

Specialities

♦ Traditional and contemporary paintings
Wood panel paintings from as early as the 1500s, to contemporary works made of modern materials

♦ Artworks of sentimental value and cultural significance
Paintings of sentimental or financial value alike, as well as those of historical or cultural significance

♦ Paintings in oils, acrylics and enamel paints
Paintings on various types of supports including canvas, wood, board, cardboard, and occasionally metal or glass

♦ Indigenous Australian artworks
Canvas paintings and painted objects made of wood, bark, plant fibres and ochre pigments.

⊗ What I don’t do

I don’t work on watercolour paintings, drawings or prints on paper. These are the speciality of a paper conservator. I also don’t do major frame restorations, though I am able to help you with minor repairs. To search for a paper or frame conservator or your choice, you can visit the AICCM website at: www.aiccm.org.au

Go to their ‘Find a Conservator’ page.

Get in Touch

Want to get in touch? Send me an email:

smitsfinearts@gmail.com

Or give me a call on: 0415 773 494

Please leave me a message and I’ll call you back.

Oil on wood panel painting before art conservation

Painting after varnish removal and restoration

To see more examples of restoration work, visit the Gallery page here.

SERVICES

KS Art Restoration serves small institutions and private art collectors in the Blue Mountains, Western Sydney and regional NSW. Read on to see how I can best help you.

Free quotes

A free condition assessment and quote for your artwork is given when you visit the studio. You can book an appointment by contacting me directly, click on the link here.

Full conservation treatments

A full treatment stabilises your painting as well as restoring the original appearance as closely as possible. To see some examples of full painting treatments visit the Gallery page, here.

Restoration treatments can include:

cleaning of the painting surface
removal of a darkened or deteriorated varnish and re-varnishing the painting
repairing a torn canvas or holes in the canvas
flattening deformations in the canvas or board
removing old repairs and overpaints that are deteriorating
securing and laying down flaking paint, and
retouching paint losses and damages.

Stabilisation treatments

Partial conservation treatments are sometimes also possible. These focus on stabilising the artwork rather than fully restoring its appearance. It maintains and preserves the artwork, which can be further restored at a later date.

Preventive treatments

Sometimes I’ll recommend carrying out minor treatments that’ll prevent damage or decay from occurring in the future. While these may seem unimportant, they’ve actually been proven to prevent or slow down deterioration.

Condition reports and collection assessments

Condition reports of a single treasured artwork, or condition assessments of your entire art collection can be undertaken, including photography of each artwork. Your collection can include paintings, works on paper, objects and sculptures. Whilst I only restore paintings, I’m experienced at condition checking and reporting on artworks of many different materials.

Timing

largerArt restoration

I deliver top quality restoration work at a very competitive price. I’m also a one-woman band, therefore I’m not speedy. A conservation treatment takes time because things need time to evaporate and/or to dry properly before moving onto the next steps in the treatment process. Certain steps in a treatment also rely on good weather conditions, such as moderate humidity levels. I often take about one month to finish a smaller project, and 2 to 3 months if the work is larger or more complex. If you have a deadline for your project please discuss this upfront so I can let you know if I can accommodate you.

Pricing

A common question I get is about pricing. My rates are very competitive. My hourly rate is currently set at what Sydney conservators charged 10 years ago. I do not provide further discounts. Having worked in major art institutions for many years, the level of finish I provide is second to none. on

Unfortunately I’m not able to work out the cost of a restoration treatment from photos or your description of the painting over the phone. I’ll need to see your painting and do a few tiny tests to work out how your painting is likely to respond to treatment. You can bring your painting to me for a free assessment and quote. Just contact me to make an appointment.