33 replies to this topic

[fester82]

This is a picture of an original oil painting I talked my parents into buying as a birthday present when I was a wee lad of nine. It was in the base BX when my father was stationed outside of London and Jimmy was my hero then. Over the years, I've wondered if it was from a particular race. Forix has a Lotus 43 with No 22 at the Italian GP in '66. Does the background reflect Monza, or does it reflect "artistic license?" For the artists out there, what is the best way to clean it as it has picked up a lot of dust and grime over the years? Unfortunately, the artist signature is no longer legible and I don't want to make it any worse.http://www.killergol...arkpainting.jpg

[Ray Bell]

The file's a bit big... I've trimmed and reduced it so it's easier to download... can you save it to your computer and then replace it on your webspace?



To me it looks like it might even be Watkins Glen... the Bardahl sign, for instance... or might it be Brands? Of course, I wouldn't rule out Monza topographically, but the signage doesn't really look Italian...

[fester82]

Thanks Ray, I haven't mastered the manipulation of images yet. I originally thought it was the Glen also due the signage, but I didn't see a No 22 entered there.

[Frank S]

Might as well look at it square, eh?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Frank S
Might as well look at it square, eh?

Come on, if you're that good, sharpen it up so we can read what the signs with that 'M' say!

[Barry Boor]

It's a fine painting but the car doesn't look quite right to me. From memory the front intake on the Lotus BRM was not that shape, but I'd have to look it up.

Certainly it looks like Monza.

[Doug Nye]

Looks like the work of agoraphobic British artist Dion Pears - Jim Clark, Lotus-BRM H16 Type 43 - 1966 Italian GP at Monza...

DCN

[RTH]

Be a bit limiting being an agoraphobic painter I would have thought, expect one would have had to spent one's time painting vases of sun flowers and worthless twaddle like that!
Of course if you were aggrophobic you wouldn't go to a race meeting at all nowadays

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Come on, if you're that good, sharpen it up so we can read what the signs with that 'M' say!

Looks very much like a Marathon oil mark.

[Ray Bell]

So did they and Bardahl have signs at Monza?

[Gary C]

.................and those white gate things must be a bit of a giveaway??

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
So did they and Bardahl have signs at Monza?

In the 1960s Marathon was a regional US fuel company, so I think the Glen more likely.

As a painter myself, I sometimes take liberties with signage- artistic license, don't you know.

[Frank S]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Come on, if you're that good, sharpen it up so we can read what the signs with that 'M' say!

Photoshop works miracles, but it requires raw material to extract something useful. I tried every kind of "sharpening" in the arsenal, and this is the best I could do:



Sorry.

[marat]

Monza.

[lanciaman]

Yup, as I said, gotta be Monza.

Nice going, Marat.

[GIGLEUX]

Don't understand all these discussion to know if it is Monza or the Glen. At the Italian GP Clark had n°22 and at the US GP he had n°1 and that's all!

[Keir]

Is that Ronald McDonald behind that sign???

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Frank S
Photoshop works miracles, but it requires raw material to extract something useful. I tried every kind of "sharpening" in the arsenal, and this is the best I could do:



Sorry.

[RTH]

Originally posted by lanciaman



As a painter myself, I sometimes take liberties with signage- artistic license, don't you know.

Hey, we can't just let that pass, - what do you paint , and how about putting some of them up for us to have a look at ?

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by RTH


Hey, we can't just let that pass, - what do you paint , and how about putting some of them up for us to have a look at ?

If I ever figure out how to post pictures here....

I have some original photos, incidentally, that I think would be interesting including G. Hill practicing in a Mickey Thompson car at Indy, and Pedro sitting in the Indy pits in another car; and Jim Clark in his car at Indy with veteran "Al Miller" posing with him; these have never appeared anywhere.

But to your point, I have just finished a "fantasy" painting of MS in the 2003 car passing JMF in the Lancia D50- two different Ferraris, different generations, with a background showing old sponsor signs merging with the new (Marlboro and Allianz), etc., hence my remark about taking license with signage. If I can get a good image of it, will post...sometime.

[Ray Bell]

This borders on the ridiculous...

Posting pictures is dead easy... just upload and use the image codes! lanciaman, you have a responsibility to your friends!

[fester82]

Thanks marat, that Monza photo kind of clinches it. The original signage is not detailed well and I was thinking Marathon Oil also, but I don't see Ronald peaking around it anywhere. So, what is the advertisement for with the big M?

Any suggestions for cleaning it?

[marat]

Monza 1966:

[D-Type]

OK, we've answered the when and where. all that's left is the How? How to restore it that is. Anything I would say would only confirm my signature.

Doesn't anybody her know how to clean and restore an oil painting?

[lanciaman]

Fester might have a conservator look at it. There are a lot of "ifs."
Has the signature actually faded or is it covered by the frame, as sometimes happens?

Many oil paintings can be marginally cleaned with cotton swabs and distilled water. Much depends on fragility, age, and varnish. You might try gently swabbing one corner to see results.

And it may be that protective varnish has opaqued with time, in which case you are mainly out of luck. A quality custom framing shop, art school or art gallery/broker can advise.

[Ray Bell]

And as for you, lanciaman... when do we start to see your pictures?

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
And as for you, lanciaman... when do we start to see your pictures?

When I set up a website so I can send a URL for the images. Given my level of computer competence, generally limited to Word and Googling, and scanning some things for my own files, it may be awhile....

[Ray Bell]

You don't need to set up a website... you just need to upload the pics to webspace...

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
you just need to upload the pics to webspace...

Ray: Whose? Where?
Geez I hate asking blockhead questions like this, answers to which I could probably get from any average 14 year old were I not wanting to appear more geezerish than presently.

But then I once left an open end wrench in the right front drum of my XK140 after adjusting the brakes, so my aptitude about many things is in question....

[Ray Bell]

If you have an account with an ISP, you probably have webspace available as part of that deal... contact your ISP and ask them.

[lanciaman]

That would be AOL. Will ask them.

[Ray Bell]

Twin Window had just gone through the same exercise with AOL...

As you can see... it worked for him.

[fester82]

One can see the remenants of a signature in the original photo of the painting in the lower right corner. It does have an accumulated layer of dust and grime that has collected on its surface over the years and the light track surface maybe fading a bit. I can see what looks like original pencil marks blocking out the left front tire under the track surface color. There's probably not much that can be done for that. Restoration will be way more $$ than the painting is worth, except for my own sentimental value.

[lanciaman]

Originally posted by fester82
I can see what looks like original pencil marks blocking out the left front tire under the track surface color. There's probably not much that can be done for that.

This adds to the interest- don't obscure the drawing. I have some framed Mark Stehrenberger pencil roughs for an illustration I commissioned on behalf of a client, and I value them greatly.
If you are careful with water and cotton swabs, using a light touch you might bring back most of the original. Try a little mild liquid soap in water in one corner and see what happens.

Smoke is one of the greatest obscurers of art, whether from fireplace or tobacco; it deposits a yellowish residue but can be removed.