Blog | Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL, Inc.)

After Mural Restoration in California The Horse Breakers by Fletcher Martin is again in Lamesa, TX!

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Scott M. Haskins

By Wilson Jackson, Guest Blogger

A valuable Depression Era oil-on-canvas-glued-to-a-wall mural called “The Horse Breakers” by renown artist Fletcher Martin, painted way back in 1939, is back in it’s original community of Lamesa, TX after it was removed from a wall in a building slated for demolition and sent for restoration to a professional art conservation lab in Santa Barbara, California. Most people in Lamesa didn’t even know about the notable painting, although its been present on the same wall where it was originally placed since 1939. I guess you had to be a real “ol’ timer” to remember it.

But The Horse Breakers broke into the news when it was reported in several media outlets to have been taken away for mural restoration last September 2015. People were unaware that such a mural existed! This is mainly because the building where this mural was located has been vacant for more than the past two decades and it had not been in public view for the past 30 years. Back then, the building was a federal post office building, which was owned by the Lamesa Independent School District. But as the building was not utilized, this mural was hidden from public view. It was probably a good thing too, given the value.

Recently, there was a study to rehab the old federal building and the price tag was way more than the building is worth or could be justified. Therefore as the idea of demolition began to be discussed, a local resident named Randy Leonard took an interest in the mural located in the building in question, and along with other local businessmen, got in touch with the Weaver Foundation for granting funds to save the mural and undertake the mural conservation process.

Click here to see a short video of the painting restoration and more about the WPA artist, Fletcher Martin

After the art restoration was completed, the WPA (Works Progress Administration) art was put up on the north wall of the Forest Community Park Center’s main meeting area. The Horse Breakers will officially be unveiled in a formal ceremony which is planned for next month during the Original Chicken Fried Steak Festival to be conducted in Lamesa, TX.

The Horse Breakers was painted by Fletcher Martin, an artist during the Great Depression Era that painted murals in locations stretching from Southern California to New York City. He painted some very iconic images that reflect the Depression Era and the times leading up to WWII. It was originally financed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) art contract, placed in the new US Post Office built in Lamesa back in 1939.

Along with the restored mural, more details about Fletcher Martin and the creation of the mural along with recognition of Weaver Foundation for the financial help towards the painting’s restoration will be placed near the wall.

The Conservator of Fine Art and the owner of Fine Art Conservation Laboratories based in Santa Barbara, California, Scott M. Haskins, personally went to Lamesa several times to help plan the project, remove the mural and, this last time, to install the mural on the wall in the community center after it was shipped back from California.

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Randy Leonard the mural is now restored and a piece of Lamesa’s history and a valuable work of art has now been saved from being forgotten and damaged and will be appreciated for generations to come.

“Like” this page now and leave a comment, please! It helps this article and website show up in the search engines for other people to find answers to their questions.

Seen in the photo are Mr. Scott M. Haskins, Mr. Richard Leonard and Mr. Randy Leonard discussing about the installation of the mural at the Forest Community Park Center in Lamesa, TX. Mr. Haskins has been working with small communities through out his 40 year career as an art conservator and mural restorer to help save and preserve murals. He has worked on similar projects in 8 different old WPA post offices in Pennsylvania, Atlanta Georgia, Alamagordo New Mexico, several in California and Utah, Eugene Oregon, Cedar Rapids Iowa, and, of note, on the monumental murals in Fair Park, Dallas Texas.

If you would like to know more about what you can do to protect and preserve your original family history items, collectibles and memorabilia click on this link for a free copy of Scott M. Haskins book Save Your Stuff – Collection Care Tips, 210 pages with 35 embedded how-to videos.

And CLICK HERE for FACL’s YouTube channel – Subscribe!

See quick video on Discovering Hidden Signatures on Paintings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxOqa-Aa9Nk

Contact Info Scott M. Haskins 805 570 4140 mobile or 805 564 3438 office faclartdoc@gmail.com

More about FACL’s background in mural restoration:

Capability statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/

Mural consultation statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/

Mural conservation videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For general mural conservation capabilities videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4l6EG8T-I&index=13&list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

Posted in Consultations, Historic Buildings - Construction Sites, In Lab, Murals, Travel | Tagged mural restoration | 20 Comments

Art Restoration of WPA Mural of Old West on Historic Register

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Scott M. Haskins

See short video at end of article…

Its like an old movie, walking along the WPA mural 4′ high and 200′ feet long that shows the settling of the Old West in the middle of nowhere in Butch Cassidy’s and the Sundance Kid’s country in South Central Utah surrounded by dinosaur bones and table top landscape.

Renown artist, Lynn Faucett, a native of Price, Utah was just the right person in 1938 to pull together the history of his country. He composed this historical review of the area for the mural based on photos, entries in archives and his own personal experiences. And, during the Depression, the new Works Projects Administration funded municipal building was the perfect place for his talents and vision for the mural.

Faucett’s depiction of the pioneer settlers, the beginnings of society in the newly constructed town and the development of the area and its industries are very competently done. There are dozens of wonderful smaller pictures within the composition of the mural. Today, we look back at the Old West’s history thinking that it was romantic and full of folklore, novels, movies etc. But back then, Faucett had lived this life, been in these buildings and knew these people. This mural is an authentic historical record of actual people (whose names are written below their portraits), buildings, customs and the process of taming the Wild West.

I’ve known Lynn Faucett’s painting style over the last 35 years of my painting conservation career having worked on the restoration of his paintings previously and looked at many others… and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t previously impressed with his painting style compared to the other Utah Impressionists that came before him.

But the original execution of this mural could have been the masterpiece of his early career. The faces were very well done and reflected feeling and expressions that were quite realistic… but then something happened…

About 20 years after the mural was painted, Faucett was employeed to “touch up” the murals and, as is almost always the case, the artist cannot respect the originality of the earlier work, doesn’t see the qualities of earlier work and has to change or update it. Such is the case on this mural when in the early 1960’s Faucett repainted much of the composition including most of the faces. The result was a change in style and, in my opinion, a reduction in painterly quality.

The result of Faucett’s repainting in oil, today, is a blotchy discoloration of the retouchings as they have aged at a different rate than the original mural. This is especially noticeable in the sky. Touch up of the seams of the canvas glued to the wall are discolored as are many other details.

It is presumed also that he varnished the murals, and likely didn’t clean them first. So, a gray layer is trapped. Then add to that the following 40+ years of grime deposited on the surface and that brings us to today’s appearance: considerably muted, flattened depth of field and contrast in the composition and an overall grayish appearance.

FACL, Inc is honored to have been called and entrusted with the health and art conservation of this historical mural, so important to the City of Price and to the area (see short video at end of article). This mural was considered so well done and so historical that it was a main reason why the entire WPA funded building was added to the US Register of Historic Properties, a considerable honor.

Without risk, we removed the last 40+ years of grime which brightened the painting considerably. However, we were hesitant to remove the 1960’s varnish as, according to preliminary tests, it would be hard to remove without damage to the original paint and would result in disturbing the retouchings that Faucett put on the mural in the 60’s thereby opening the proverbial “can of worms” during the cleaning and causing a real mess, even seriously damaging the mural.

In the past years, there has also occurred water damage infiltrations that have stained the front of the painting in several areas. So, these areas were cleaned. Then whatever was left of the stains and all of the blotchyness of Faucett’s retouchings were glazed and toned to blend in better and not be noticeable. We never do retouching in oils for the very reason now noticeable from Faucett’s 1960’s work. All of our materials are conservation grade, chemically stable, reversible materials that will be easily removable without damage to the original painting far into the future.

Our varnishes are also conservation grade and have gone through extensive testing to determine their reversibility and removability, color fastness and compatibility with the work of art. They will not yellow and will always be easy to remove.

In the end, we have stabilized the deterioration of the painting, returned it to it’s best appearance and protected it for many generations into the future… which should help make some more history. I love my job. It feels like my work is socially conscious!

Please leave a comment and give this article a THUMBS UP! Thanks!

If you would like to know more about our background in mural restoration:

See our mural conservation videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For general mural conservation capabilities videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4l6EG8T-I&index=13&list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For our written mural capability statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/

For our written mural consultation statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/

Scott M. Haskins 805 570 4140 faclartdoc@gmail.com

Posted in Murals, Travel | Tagged expert mural restorer | 17 Comments

Art Conservation Forensic Analysis Of Wall Decorations In Burned Out Historic Building

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Scott M. Haskins

Art Conservation Forensic Analysis Of Wall Decorations In Burned Out Historic Provo Tabernacle Assists In The Recreation of Historic Details In New LDS Provo City Center Temple (excellent new video at end of article)

Provo Tabernacle 2010

The burning of the much used and much loved LDS Provo Tabernacle (conference and performance center) in December of 2010 was a shock for the community and all those that knew the Provo, Utah area.

The following April, I was asked to do art conservation forensic analysis of the wall decorations in what was left of the burned out Provo Tabernacle building by the LDS Church History Dept. to find out details and make proposals. It had, since the fire, been gutted and cleaned out leaving the much publicized image of the shell of the building.

As a side note, also a victim of the fire was a notable original painting of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by Minerva Teichert. This painting, like all artwork, was self insured by the Church. So, while the $1.5 million valuation of the painting did not result in an insurance settlement, it was interestingly a wake up call to headquarters that there is a significant financially valuable heritage to be aware of, protected and preserved. This event put into motion mandates for better care and inventory of the History Department’s artifacts and has since evolved into a much greater sense of care of art and artifacts worldwide. In this sense, the destructive fire in the Provo Tabernacle was a valuable and beneficial landmark event benefiting the historic preservation policies of the Church as a whole.

I went exploring with scalpels etc through the burnt layers to identify what was original to the building. There were, if I remember correctly, 7 layers of paint and wall paper etc that had been applied over the ages. Then, I utilized various solvents to establish solubility parameters within projected uses of protective facing layers (and their removal) in the event of salvage and plaster removal. Tests were also done for potential cleaning procedures for the fire and smoke damage. Physically, knocking on the plaster layers helped me to see what voids were extant and gave me a general idea of the cohesion between plaster layers (to see if they had separated during the fire, water, etc). In areas of no decoration I did separation samples to see what the potential was for massiccio (en masse) detachment of wall plaster sections with design on them (perhaps for eventual historical displays). The onsite tests and discoveries were also photographed (the photos in the video below were provided my FACL) and videoed for future media needs.

Figuring out the conditions of the paintings and walls, then doing cleaning tests of what was left of the decorative painted layers and examination of the plaster layers under the decorations of the burnt out meeting center allowed for planning by the History Department that would be passed on to other concerned departments. While proposals to recoup or salvage original sections of decoration were not followed, our work was much appreciated and helped with the historic recreation of the details in the new building.

As you may have seen in the news, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) owns the building. Since there was little justification to rebuild the historic conference center, there was enthusiasm to convert the remains of the historic building into a functioning “destination temple” where weddings and other ceremonies would lend its character to many “Kodak moments.” Since a great amount of the identity of the LDS Church lies in the Pioneer Heritage, this new building was taken on as a Pioneer work of art and to become an architectural gem that would reflect that heritage. A wonderful video on the historical features and symbolism of the new building has just been posted… it is worthy of your time to watch it:

http://redeemer-of-israel.blogspot.com/2016/01/interior-architectural-details-of-PCCT.html PLEASE, leave a great comment at the bottom of the blog page… and pass the link around to others. I love this video presentation!

Scott M. Haskins, Head of Conservation, Fine Art Conservation Laboratories,

805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com

Posted in Travel | Tagged Forensic studies, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | 2 Comments

Painting Restoration and Conservation – Chapman College in Orange County- Hilbert Museum of California Art

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

Professional painting restoration and conservation is a valuable service that is often searched for by asking for referrals from esteemed art dealers, museums and auction houses. But sometimes, the referral is no better than simply asking your hairdresser, depending if the person is referring you to a “friend” or a real professional who, not only, knows his/her stuff but also runs a quality professional business.

After several trial and error relationships, we were recently gratified to hear from a major collector in Orange County who was not satisfied with past restoration referral and services. Lucky for him, Mark Hilbert received glowing referrals from two quality businesses in Southern California; Redfern Gallery in Laguna Beach (http://www.redferngallery.com) and from Scott Levitt at Bonhams Auction House in West Hollywood (http://www.bonhams.com) to call us at Fine Art Conservation Laboratories who regularly provide service throughout the southland. See short video:

Click on photo to see video

You will be interested to know that Mark Hilbert is the main force behind the new major museum being established with Chapman College in Chapman, CA that is about to open in Feb. 2016. The Hilbert Museum of California Art will have its opening on Feb. 27th, 2016 and you may contact Mr. Hilbert for arrangements to attend (mhilbert@cox.net) or for a copy of the book. The vast collection focuses on California art in the 1930 and 1940s and is made up of mostly watercolors and paintings. The new book, just published is a gem full of wonderful photos.

Collection Overview – Windows in Time

Fine Art Conservation Laboratories is honored to be part of the team to assist with this collection. Some of the educational discussions we have had with collection management have been lighting issues, the use of a UV blacklight during examinations and the characteristics of different kids of varnishes and finishes on paintings. These are common discussions we have with art collectors, dealers and other institutional collections we serve in the area: We are the art conservators for the Festival of the Arts in Laguna, we do work for the Mission San Juan Capistrano, we receive referrals from the Bowers Museum and have done a lot of work in the past for the Irvine Museum.

Click here for our review of Art Restoration Consultation Services provided over the years: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/

Call Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservator, to discuss your questions and a personal visit. 805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com

p.s. If you would like to know more about what you can do to protect and preserve your original family history items, collectibles and memorabilia click on this link for a free copy of Scott M. Haskins book Save Your Stuff – Collection Care Tips, 210 pages with 35 embedded how-to videos.

p.s.s. CLICK HERE for our YouTube channel – Subscribe! See quick video on Discovering Hidden Signatures on Paintings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxOqa-Aa9Nk

#ArtRestoration, #ArtConservation, #PaintingConservation, #PaintingRestoration, #FACL, #FineArtConservationLaboratories, #HilbertMuseumofCaliforniaArt, #CaliforniaArt, #MarkHilbert, #ChapmanCollege

Posted in Consultations | Tagged Hilbert Museum of California Art | 1 Comment

Art Conservation Training in Italy – A tribute to Laura Mora

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

During my years of acquiring a masters degree level education in art conservation of paintings (easle paintings and murals) at ENAIP in Italy (1975-1978) our Lombardy Province government sponsored program was in collaboration with the Istituto Centrale del Restauro (ICR), the Rome based Italian National art conservation lab. The various satellite centers to the head lab in Rome were overseen by ICR directors Laura and Paolo Mora (passed away in 1998). Laura’s passing in May of this year and the recent tribute in the Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter brought to mind those exciting days of my education.

I remember meeting with Mrs. Mora many times under her tutelage both theoretical and practical. She was always thorough, professional, available to teach and with a sense of humor. I remember her saying that “I love Paraloid B72 (an acrylic resin) so much that I’d put it on my breakfast toast.”

Knowing her extensive contribution to the professional field of art conservation, I feel lucky to have known her and I appreciate greatly her contribution to our field.

Scott M. Haskins

Tributo a Laura Mora

Nel mio periodo all”ENAIP (1975-1978) il nostro programma era organizzato con la collaborazione del Istituto Centrale del Restauro (ICR) a Roma sotto la sorveglianza di Laura (e Paolo) Mora. Con la mancanza della Signora Mora quest’anno in maggio (Paolo e’ venuto a mancare nel 1998) e il tributo del Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) nell’ultimo Newsletter, mi sta venendo in mente le tante visite che abbiamo fatto a ICR per partecipare nella tutela della Signora Mora. Era sempre professionale ma con un senso di umorismo. Mi ricordo che mi ha espresso, “Mi piace cosi’ tanto il Paraloid B72 che lo metterei sul pane tostato di prima colazione.” Apprezzo molto il suo contributo alla nostra professione e la sua accoglienza in quei anni.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Travel | 1 Comment

Hopeless Smoke Damaged Oil Paintings Given New Life – 3 Valuable Tips

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

By Annia Bonifaz, Guest Blogger

Responding and taking care of smoke damaged paintings, art and antiques is a job or need with which you will require expert, professional help. This

Smoke Damaged Office with Artwork

article tells about a couple of recent true-life stories designed to save you tons of $ and distress. Take the coaching to heart and plan ahead to avoid bigger problems if you have the misfortune to have to deal with this situation (act… don’t react!). The problem is aggravated, especially, if you have in your possession the property of others (artwork on consignment, for example). Actually, both of these stories tell of a fire NEXT door that affected the collection of art in question.

1st Story (Take note if you live in a condo or have art located in a business)
After the fire, a new roof on the old building was required. This obviously affected everyone under the roof. Even though the artwork in question next door to the fire was not damaged in the fire, the clean up and repairs were going to impact the art gallery. As the landlord and roofing company planned the work, it was clear they had no idea about protecting artwork or the value… and therefore the potential liability. (1st tip) It was the responsibility of the lessee to inform them of the precautions that needed to be taken!! In this case, the gallery owner had an art conservator that he knew and he related the detailed instructions and precautions to the roofing company… who ignored him. The response was, “This isn’t our first rodeo, we’ve done this before and know what we are doing.” Fortunately, the gallery owner did not back down and read the “riot act” to him, let him know he was going to be liable and related the dialog to the landlord. This up front dialog with all concerned (and a threatened law suit up front), saved the gallery owner the cost of a massive clean up when the roofing project “didn’t go the way the roofing company thought” which was a $25K bill plus reimbursement for downtime. (2nd tip) A specialized professional in the gallery owner’s pocket gave him credibility.

2nd Story
Just this morning, as I was writing this article, I got a phone call from a gallery in New York (I’m in CA). The fire next door to him smoked his inventory badly. He got lucky and was being assisted by the disaster response company, ServPro who had declined to handle and clean the artwork admitting that the liability was too high and that artwork is not within their training. Interestingly, when a company says this to a client, it inspires the client to believe that the contractor tells him the truth and can be trusted! (Tips #3) The gallery owner was doing exactly the right thing by searching out a professional art conservator with disaster response experience. The art conservator that he knew didn’t know anything about disaster response (handling lots of objects (possibly damaged) all at once which includes packing, safe handling, safe storage practices and may include handling items exposed to toxic materials). In our phone conversation I referred him to the website for the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) which has a referral program for someone closest to him.

Left photo – During removal of smoke damage…
Right photo – After cleaning, it regained 100% of its original value and is in perfect condition.

As an example of the capabilities of a high quality art conservation lab, the above photo shows a painting that was written off by the insurance company as a total loss, but was beloved by the owner. Fortunately, the disaster response company (ServPro) realized that they did not have the expertise to clean the artwork and didn’t muck around with futile attempts. Fine Art Conservation Laboratories is specialized in the handling, evaluating, testing and cleaning of artwork. This photo is a during cleaning shot. The final result was perfect with little or no inpainting (retouching) required. Obviously, the painting conservators were heroes for the clients and ServPro!

Here is an article from an Insurance Broker who specializes in Fine Art and Antiques policies with tips in filing a claim: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/insurance/smoke-damage-on-collectibles-heirlooms-and-antiques-tips-for-making-an-insurance-claim/

Left – After the painting was cleaned by a restorer who didn’t know anything about the secrets of removing smoke damage from valuable and sensitive art.
Right – After it was cleaned a second time by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories.

Contact Info: Office – 805 564 3438 e-mail faclartdoc@gmail.com

CLICK HERE for our YouTube channel – Subscribe!

See quick video on Discovering Hidden Signatures on Paintings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxOqa-Aa9Nk

Posted in In Lab, Painting on canvas | Tagged art restoration, smoke damage | 33 Comments

Mural Restoration Expert Consultation

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

FACL travels nationally to discuss and undertake mural conservation projects. Here’s a testimonial from a small project in Western Texas

Watch this video on YouTube

For our mural capability statement:

https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/

For our mural consultation statement:

https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/

Our mural conservation videos on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For general mural conservation capabilities videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4l6EG8T-I&index=13&list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

Scott M. Haskins 805 570 4140 mobile, 805 564 3438 office faclartdoc@gmail.com

faclinc, Scott M. Haskins, WPA mural, art conservation, art restoration, mural restoration, mural conservation, painting conservation, painting restoration, historic preservation, mural removal,

Posted in Historic Buildings - Construction Sites, Murals, Travel | 1 Comment

Professional Art Restoration Painting Conservation Door to Door Service

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

Watch this video on YouTube

“Consultation at home or office at no charge?!?!”

“You pick up and deliver?”

We get around…

Our circulation through the areas listed below is done so often and effortlessly by our office that we consider these “our backyard:” Santa Monica and West LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, The Marina District, Silver Lake, Los Angeles… then on to Orange Country; Tustin, the beach cities around Newport to Laguna, San Juan Capistrano to San Diego.

Watch this video on YouTube

In the Monterey-Camel area we are well known and admired for our work with both the cities of Monterey and Carmel, The Maritime Museum and The Monterey Museum of Art, many of the art galleries that sell vintage art and many many private clients.

We also provide pick and delivery service to the Las Vegas area, mostly concentrating on private clients, insurance companies (claims adjusters) and corporate collections.

Watch this video on YouTube

Salt Lake City (and the Provo-Orem area) has been our familiar stomping grounds since 1978. We do continuous work for several departments of the LDS-Mormon Church, for the State of Utah and its museums, we connect often with Christiansen Fine Art Gallery and the Springville Museum of Art; we enjoy meeting with private collectors and anytime we are called…

Watch this video on YouTube

So, let us answer your art conservation restoration questions! Contact info 805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com

Posted in Art on Paper, Disaster/Emergency Response, Expert Witness/Legal Testimony, Historic Buildings - Construction Sites, Murals, Painting on canvas, Travel | Tagged Help and Consultation | 1 Comment

Cowboy Rodeo WPA Mural To Be Removed_Art Conservation Consultation and Painting Restoration in Texas

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

Watch this video on YouTube

While I enjoy the high profile jobs with important or even famous artwork I LOVE to work with small communities to save their public art. This art is often very important to the locals… maybe the only historical art in the community. Such was the case in the town of Lamesa Texas that has an old post office that is slated for demolition.

I’m often asked, over the phone or by email, “How much does it cost to remove a mural from a wall.” Well, we may be experts but giving an estimate a 1000 miles away from the project, sight unseen is beyond the magic that we like to perform. Perhaps they ask me for this quote because they think its a construction type bid that has a standardized catalog of hours and costs per square foot much like putting up wall board or running electrical wires. Not so.

In fact, in the Socialist Republic of California, Art Conservation is considered a “Professional Services” field and is not issued a contractor’s license even though other contractors that do decorative painting and other tasks in historical properties are required. This sets up another discussion about art conservation services being bonded. Performance bonds are almost never required and I’ve never heard of a professional art conservator not finishing a project or stiffing a client on a contract (though I have heard of a non professional hack/quack that did).

Since there is no licensing by the national professional organization, The American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC), it requires a little research to nail down who is professional or not. Scrutinizing past work, talking to references and referrals is always good. And requiring that the person in charge of the art conservation services is a “Professional Associate of the AIC” are all good ways to confirm you are working with a professional and is something the Big Boys do (major General Contractors, government contracts etc).

We look forward to discussing with you your project!

Click here for a video of examples of several different kinds of mural removal projects: https://youtu.be/9iOiL2urctM

For more information on our background experience with murals click here: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/

For testimonials, click here: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/testimonials/(some mural testimonials towards the bottom of the page)

Questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com

Scott Haskins Inpainting Water Damage

Was this article helpful or interesting? Leave a comment and give it a THUMBS UP please so the search engines will find us more easily. Thanks!

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Posted in Historic Buildings - Construction Sites, Murals, Travel | Tagged mural conservation consultation project, mural restoration | 2 Comments

Authentic WPA Mural of “Old West” Art Conservation Consultation and Project Planning

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Scott M. Haskins

Click to see short video

Watch this video on YouTube

In South Central Utah among the red earth table top landscape filled with dinosaur bones, there is an old coal mining town with a surprisingly good quality WPA mural.

The panorama historical WPA mural is 4′ high and 200′ feet long and depicts the life of the area’s original pioneers and cowboys… truly a time capsule of the Old West. Renown artist, Lynn Fausett, a native of Price, Utah was just the right person in 1938 to pull together this historically accurate mural of his country.

In the pre-war years of 1930’s, the Works Progress Administration (the name was changed to the Work Projects Administration a year after it got started) funded a municipal building in Price that was the perfect place for Fausett’s talents and vision for the mural. Based on photos, entries in archives and his own personal experiences, he planned the composition of this historical rendering of his town for the mural.

This really was the far west of cowboys, bandits and pioneers. Our fantasies of the Old West are mostly made up of romantic encounters and full of folklore, novels, movies etc. But back then, Fausett had lived this life among the buildings in this mural and knew these people. This mural is an authentic historical record of actual people (whose names are written below their portraits), buildings, customs and the process of taming the Wild West. The mural is a documentation of the pioneer settlers, the beginnings of society in the newly constructed town and the development of the area and its industries.

35 years ago my painting conservation career in the USA (I studied and started working in Italy) started in Utah and I’ve known Lynn Faucett’s painting style, having worked on the restoration of his paintings previously and looked at many others. And to tell you the truth, I wasn’t previously impressed with his painting style compared to the other Utah Impressionists that came before him.

1st Mormon settlers and church organization in the area

When I first saw this mural, I was surprised… this mural may have been the masterpiece of his early career. The faces were very well done and reflect feeling and expressions that were quite realistic.

National Register of Historic Sites, Price Utah

This mural was considered so well done and so historical that it was a main reason why the entire WPA funded building was added to the US Register of Historic Properties, a considerable honor… but then something happened…

Fausett was employeed to “touch up” the murals in the 1960s and, as is almost always the case, artists don’t respect the qualities of the earlier work and has to change or update it. This happened on this mural when Fausett repainted most of the faces and much of the composition. The result was a change in style and, in my opinion, a reduction in the quality of the mural.

The result of Fausett’s repainting in oil, today, is a blotchy discoloration of the retouchings as they have aged at a different rate than the original mural. This is especially noticeable in the sky. Touch up of the seams of the canvas glued to the wall are discolored as are many other details.

Entrance lobby to City Hall for Price, Utah with the panorama murals by Lynn Faucett 1938-1941

Fine Art Conservation Laboratories is honored to have been called and entrusted with the health and art restoration of this historical mural, so important to the City of Price and to the area. We removed the last 40+ years of grime which brightened the painting considerably, without risk to the paint layers. However, we were hesitant to remove the old varnish as, according to preliminary tests, it would be hard to remove without damage to the original paint and would result in disturbing the retouchings that Faucett put on the mural in the 60’s thereby opening the proverbial “can of worms” during the cleaning and causing a real mess, even seriously damaging the mural.

Removal of deposits, pollution and grime from the mural

Water damage infiltrations have occurred in the last years that have stained the front of the painting in several areas. So, these areas were cleaned. Then whatever was left of the stains and all of the blotchyness of Fausett’s retouchings were glazed and toned to blend in better and not be noticeable. We never do retouching in oils for the very reason now noticeable from Fausett’s 1960’s work. All of our materials are conservation grade, chemically stable, reversible materials that will be easily removable without damage to the original painting far into the future.

In the end, we have stabilized the deterioration of the painting, returned it to it’s best appearance and protected it for many generations into the future… which should help make some more history. I love my job. It feels like my work is socially conscious!

If you would like to know more about our background

in mural restoration:

See our mural conservation videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For general mural conservation capabilities videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4l6EG8T-I&index=13&list=PLE1FF71CC598A8E79

For our written mural capability statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/mural/

For our written mural consultation statement: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/consultations/

Scott M. Haskins

805 564 3438 office

faclartdoc@gmail.com

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Posted in Historic Buildings - Construction Sites, Murals, Travel | Tagged expert mural restorer, mural conservation project consultant | 1 Comment

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