You're so welcome, Daphne.
This morning I went next door and watched my neighbor, Randy Ivy, preparing a very old picture frame for regilding. Randy does water gilding and oil gilding as well. Water gilding is really expensive for some reason. Randy could explain it to you. I asked him if he'd like to join this discussion group and he said he'd be happy to answer questions and give advice. He might get questions from the art discussion board, Daphne. What to do.
Another one who will certainly get questions from the art community is Gary Hollingsworth, our art conservator and co-founder of the old Restoration Guild. Gary cleans and repairs oil paintings. Where he works, he's surrounded by beautiful old landscapes and such. When he gets back from Yellowstone Nat. Park later this week, we'll ask him art can really imitate nature after all.
David

I was wondering if you could tell me how to get cracked varnish off an oil painting? I picked up a cheap oil painting from a yard sale a while back, but the varnish is cracked and spotted. It's not valuable enough to spend the money taking it to a professional restorer. I oil paint myself, and thought this might be a good piece to learn on, as I've always had an interest in restoration.
Another thing I've always wondered about, what to you use to clean an oil painting when age has darkened it? Thanks

Clocks, Cars, Vision
In the timekeeper's chair we have Helen Cipilloni, clockmaker. Helen was taught how to make gears and springs by her dad, a craftsman from the old world. She keeps a shop in Leesburg, Florida (As Time Goes By, Inc.), and like all the best craftsmen, she was quick to point out to me that she knows someone better. The better we get, the clearer it becomes that we're not the best. It's why we try harder.
In my town, if you wreck your Mercedes and the insurance company tries to give it back to you with one taillight higher than the other, you take it to Scott Tomarazzo Auto Body to have it done right. There's usually an antique or classic car being restored there. Scott knows the tricks and he's willing to offer his advice.
I've been forming a vision of what this Repair Shop could look like in the future. You'll notice that everyone I've introduced so far is in Central Florida. These are people I know personally and who's work I recommend. In order to be useful to the ebay community, however, we must meet and be able to recommend competent craftsmen from around the country. There's only so much you can do for a person with written advice. Recommending chemicals for cleaning, for instance, can be a tricky business. A professional has made all the major mistakes at least once already. You can make your own, or you can pay him to not make them for you; but a little knowledge, as they say, is a dangerous thing.
I envision a Repair Shop where questions about any object sold on ebay can be quickly referred to an expert somewhere who will answer you the best they can, and then be able to recommend someone in your area for professional help if necessary. Those of us in the trades can usually tell if someone else knows what theyre doing. Probably the best sevice we can offer the citizens of eBay is to make sure that we're recommending the best people available. Meanwhile, if you know someone who's really good at what they do, put us in touch so we can grow.

Dollarauction,
You make a good point. I'll admit to feeling unsure about posting #6. I've written to Daphne for a ruling on the matter. You what they say about newbies: "You can't break the rules 'til you know how to play the game".
Whom do you know in the business? What do they do?

Well, now that we got that out of the way. Is my question (#4) going to be answered? I hope so, because I'd really like to know.

In response to the question concerning the removal of varnish from a painting, restorers generally make the distinction between cleaning and de-varnishing a painting. Cleaning involves the removal of surface dirt, grime, soot, and tobacco residue. Cleaning a painting with household cleaners presents the real risk of resultant structural damage due to the wetting and drying of the various layers of the painting--greatly speeding up its deterioration. De-varnishing is the removal of the layer or layers of originally clear coatings by means of solvents, enzymes, abrasion or the use of a laser. The methods, materials and techniques employed can be decided on only after analysis and experimentation to determine what type of varnish is present (resin, mastic, oil, synthetic, etc.)There is no magic bullet for de-varnishing all paintings. It is very easy to do irreversible damage to a painting by overcleaning.This cannot be recommended for anyone without proper training and experience. So, what can you do with your painting? Re-varnishing a painting can often have a dramatic effect on the way it looks and this is within the scope of most non-professionals. I recommend a synthetic, non-yellowing varnish made especially for paintings. One is Grumbacher Oil Painting and Picture Varnish (gloss or matte) in a spray can. Only varnishes especially designed for paintings will do. They are designed to be easily removable. Remember the Restoration Prime Directive,"Do only things that are reversible."

Hi ifixart,
Thanks for responding to my questions. I tried spraying artist varnish over the painting with cracked varnish and the cracks can still be seen, but they're shinier. Also, if you don't recommend household cleaner on oil paintings to clean, what do you recommend?
Thanks again for your input.