LookingGlass, this looks really fun. is this your main line of work? if not, how did you get into it? where did you learn to restore antiques?
thanks - chipy
Hi chipy, it is fun and rewarding. This job isn't for everyone, you need patience, dexterity, art back ground helps. Don't expect to make money over night. You do this job because you love it, you can make money later, once you've got your skill level down pat, and you'll always be learning. You become very resourceful sometimes.
Yes, you can go to school, get your BA and masters in various degrees in this field. You can specialize in paintings, metals, paper, and objects. I'm a private conservator, thats my title. You can check out the AIC, American Institute for Conservation for more information, if you are interested.
I've been in the business 20 years now, I've owned BrokenArts for 16.
Always had an art background, I landed a job and had on the job training for 2.5 years. Better than taking any class.
This year was interesting, we had a lot of cool projects to do, its never boring, always something new to work on. Some projects I feel privileged to have been able to restore them.
We had our biggest and most expensive project to date so far, a statue, two kids on the granite chair. Major overhaul, 75+ hours worth of work, it turned our fabulous. Owners were thrilled, they invited us over, broke out the champagne, and I got a bonus, first time ever for me. They *got* what I did to the piece, it wasn't so much the bonus, its the fact they were so thrilled and happy, with the work, it was a career moment for me.