MITRA Forum Question Details

​Thank you, Brian. I will definitely test an area of paint on the side of the stretcher bar. However, since the affected areas are not the final layer of paint, two questions:

1. If the turps were to "bite in", would that adversely affect the final outcome, or would it perhaps increase adhesion for the subsequent layer, since it's been a few years since I worked on the piece?

2. If I can't get the water spots off, would they ever come back to haunt me if I cover them with a subsequent paint layer?

Thanks again so much for your time and expertise!

Dear Brian, 

I finally had a chance to test some paint on the edge of the stretcher bar with turps, and certain pigments came right up on the cotton swap, even though the piece has been dry for a few years! :oO I did attach some photographs of the remaining water stains for your reference -- they look like very small whitish rings. Since my old studio was on the bottom of two floors, there is no way to know what might have been in the initial dripping water. Other drips that landed on a paper work-in-progress seemed water soluble at the time. Since I didn't notice the water stains on this linen canvas when I initially looked for damage, and based on the current appearance of the spots, I imagine that they may have "migrated up" as you suggest. Any thoughts based on looking at the photos?

Based on my swap test, I am hesitant to try turps on the front of the painting, though in my test, the greens similar to those in the affected areas didn't seem as vulnerable as another pigment. (I had painted the edges with black "gesso" prior to starting the painting since I will be using floater frames, so it was difficult to tell if a trace of the greens came up or if it was a bit of this black primer.) Since I'm going to overpaint with a final layer or two, would disrupting the binder make a difference in longevity? Should I consider gently sanding the spots off (with appropriate caution and pigment disposal) instead?

These initial layers were painted in 2013-2015, so I was planning to give the entire canvas a gentle rub with OMS anyway to get rid of any potential dirt or fingerprints, etc, before resuming the painting. (FYI, the affected area is only one (or in a few areas, two) layers on top of an underpainting, and not adulterated more than 20% with an alkyd/oil medium mixed with OMS in varying percentages.) I thought I should gently abrade the entire surface to insure a better tooth to which the subsequent oil paint layers can best adhere, so I welcome your input on the best way to proceed. (Certain "non-waterspotted" areas of the painting are still only the developed underpainting, so they may not require more than a cleaning...?)

Thank you so much as always!

water stain splatter detail on oil painting_1_.jpgwater stain splatter detail on oil painting_2_.jpg