How to care for acrylic paintings

I've decided to post on how to care for acrylic paintings, because I've had to offer up a couple of paintings for sale lately, and most people don't know how to properly care for a painting. I was going to write it myself, but I found a terrific guide on eHow on how to care for an acrylic painting, and thought "Why try to reinvent the wheel?"
Of course, professional framing and temperature control may be out of your league, but it is a terrific guide nonetheless!

Instructions
1. Touch the painting as little as possible. The oils and dirt on your hands can make the paint deteriorate. Wash your hands before handling the painting, and wear cotton gloves when you have to touch it.
2. Handle the painting carefully. Take off accessories like rings or bracelets so you don't nick or tear the canvas. Carry the painting by holding it on its opposite sides with both hands. Don't carry it flat on top of your open palms.
3. Have the painting professionally framed with a glass front. This is not a job you should attempt to do yourself. The glass will help protect it from dust, dirt and moisture.
4. Store or display the painting in a place that is below room temperature. The top film on acrylic paint is already soft; keeping the painting at room temperature will further soften it. Install a thermostat in the room where the canvas is kept and monitor it daily.
5. Hang the painting where it will be best preserved. Don't place a painting over a fireplace mantel: The soot and heat can damage it. Even in non-wood fireplaces, you have the problem of a chimney conducting drafts and dampness into the room.
6. Keep the painting away from sources of heat, ultraviolet light, direct sunlight, dust, dampness and humidity. These elements can hasten the natural aging process of the paint and cause damage like prematurely faded colors or cracks.
7. Have a professional hang the painting. This means either placing a loop on either side of the top of the frame and suspending it with wire, or securing a wire to the back of the painting with a screw on either side. Don't hang the picture on a nail, because as the canvas weakens with age, the nail can push its way into it and dent the surface.
8. Periodically check the frame's hardware. Are the screws or wires loose? Is the frame coming unglued? Is the glass shifting within the frame? It's better to check and catch a loose wire than to come home and find a ripped painting because the glass front broke when it fell to the floor.


How to Care for Acrylic Paintings on eHow.com

When I give an acrylic painting as a gift, I usually keep it simple:
1. Don't put the painting in a hot or humid place - the humidity can cause the paint to warp; the heat can make it soft and pliable, and more prone to damage.
2. Don't put it in a really cold place - the paint can crack.
3. Don't put it in direct sunlight - the paint will fade
4. If you need to clean it, use a dry cloth - again, dampness can degrade the paint.
5. Handle the painting carefully, touch it as little as possible...and wash your hands before you touch it, as skin oils attract dirt and dust, as well as accelerate the aging process of the paint.

Take good care of your acrylic paintings!

Loki's Leash Rack

I bought a wooden plaque with my birthday money, because I decided that Loki had so much stuff, that he needed a rack of his own. I mean, literally - the hooks on our key rack were almost falling off from the combined weight of our keys and his various puppy paraphernalia! (leashes, collars, a harness, etc)

Here it is:



and here it is, in action:



Not only did I make a completely new rack for Loki, I replaced the hooks on our old key rack, to give it some new life.
I'm quite proud of myself - I made something that has a purpose AND is decorative, rather than something that has no purpose other than looking pretty.
A job well done.

Faerie Ravine

Faerie Ravine by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

This painting is an anniversary gift for Krystina and Thorfin, based on a drawing that she did. She asked me to paint the hand and the faerie, but she had no opinion on the background - she told me to use my imagination. "Be an artist, make it up...." and all that jazz.
Here is the finished product. I hope you all enjoy!
Medium is acrylics on canvas board.

Tyr Painting...A look back

To Tyr, the God of Justice, Bravery, and Courage!



Tyr is known by many names, most notably, The One-handed God.
Thanks to wikipedia, I do not have to re-type the story in detail. Here's the short version:
'According to the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, at one stage the gods decided to shackle the wolf Fenrisulfr (Fenrir), but the beast broke every chain they put upon him. Eventually they had the dwarves make them a magical ribbon called Gleipnir. It appeared to be only a silken ribbon but was made of six wondrous ingredients: the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, bear's sinews (meaning nerves, sensibility), fish's breath and bird's spittle. The creation of Gleipnir is said to be the reason why none of the above exist. Fenrir sensed the gods' deceit and refused to be bound with it unless one of them put his hand in the wolf's mouth.

Tyr, known for his great honesty and courage, agreed, and the other gods bound the wolf. After Fenrir had been bound by the gods, he struggled to try and break the rope. When the gods saw that Fenrir was bound they all laughed, except Tyr, who had his right hand bitten off by the wolf. Fenrir will remain bound until the day of Ragnarök. As a result of this deed, Tyr is called the "Leavings of the Wolf". '

Most people, seeing through the misty veil of Christianity, misconstrue this story as an act of sacrifice: Tyr "sacrificed" his sword hand for the safety of his brethren. But this act was in fact one of bravery and justice: about doing what is right, regardless of the cost.

To my knowledge, this is the only painting that has ever been done of Tyr and the Wolf in this perspective. In every portrayal I have found, the hand is missing, or he is still two-handed, feeding the wolf, Fenris. I felt like a genius when the idea of this perspective occured to me. I am so glad that it worked, and I hope this painting does him "justice"! (Oh, the pun was bad, but it made me feel soooo soooo good!)

Hail, Tyr, bravest of the Gods!


An interesting bloggie fact to clog up your brain, thanks to Wikipedia:
Tuesday is in fact "Tyr's Day." This is because the Anglo-Saxons at that time pronounced Tyr's name as "Tiw" thus giving his name to the 2nd day of the week.

Falcon Freya Update #1

This is my first Falcon Freya update. Don't be afraid to tell me how you think it is coming along. I like comments and suggestions, as long as they are CONSTRUCTIVE!

Blessings of Freya,

Aud

Odin Wants YOU for Valhalla!

This painting is one that I did on a lark - it was just an idea that wouldn't go away, not until I painted it out of my head. This one sold almost immediately, and I've had requests for posters to be made.

In due time!

Blessings of Odin,

Aud

Nerthus, Earth Goddess

Unfortunately, with Nerthus, I had little to work with. I have to admit that my artwork is best when it comes from structure - in the case of Gods and Goddesses, this structure is the myths that surround them. I wrote a bit about Nerthus in my Charming of the Plow packet (which, in the excitement of the whole experience, forgot to give to Troy…oops, my bad). So, since it is easily looked up on Wikipedia and the like, I will not delve deep into the history of Nerthus, just my UPG (Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis). AGAIN - this is my own PERSONAL feelings of Nerthus.
Nerthus is a goddess of fresh, standing water - that of ponds and lakes. This is why I depicted her dipping her feet into a pond. She is a goddess of preparation - preparing the earth for the new season. I put flowers in her hair - a sign of the coming spring. Continuing in that vein, she is an earth goddess - our careful preparation of the soil leads to fruitful results. Her dark hair, the color of moist, nutrient-rich earth was not an accident. It may also be obvious to you all that she is a big girl - as many earth goddesses were depicted. Being shown in this way is a very primal statement - it means that the fruitfulness of the earth will lead to prosperity -which equals more food to eat.

All in all, I think it came out well. I particularly like the expression on her face, and was told by others that they liked it too. I must be doing something right!

HAIL NERTHUS!