Although writer Clemente Moore described a jelly-bellied Santa in his poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, it was artist Thomas Nast who truly brought the beloved character to... (more)

While researching a painting for an appraisal I began to remember a discussion on connoisseurship in one of my appraisal courses. What is it? How do you obtain... (more)

I have just been accepted to join the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers in Ireland as an Overseas Member. I will now be offering appraisal services to... (more)

Whether you are collecting jewelry, vintage cars, wine or artwork, the transition into a serious collector involves knowledge, relationships, record keeping and preservation. Can you fill all of... (more)

 ~ Legal Title ~ (as it pertains to works of art) The age old adage “possession is 9/10 of the law” does not always apply when dealing with... (more)

The numbers on the bottom of a lithograph or other graphic usually appear as a fraction, with the denominator giving the edition size and the numerator giving the... (more)

It’s more exciting and newsworthy to talk about theft. The FBI’s art theft program Web site states: “Art and cultural property crime – which includes theft, fraud, looting,... (more)

There are many mediums on which visual media can be stored. Today I would like to touch on the problem with the deterioration of VHS and Film media.... (more)

Although any item could be placed into one or more of the following groups, there are some general guidelines for placing an item into a category…    Fine... (more)

 Substrate Induced Discoloration or (SID)    Acrylic mediums (especially when thickly applied) have the ability to draw out impurities from the support (surface) they are painted on. Gesso priming will... (more)