Bob Wittersheim

And it made me even more curious about my painting, the woman seated in that room, and whoever it was who painted her. When I'd first opened the back of the frame, I'd hoped there would be a label, a tag, something to send me in a clear direction. But all I'd found was a scrap of paper that had a few words on it. and most of them had been cut in half when the scrap was torn from a larger sheet.

And it made me even more curious about my painting, the woman seated in that room, and whoever it was who painted her. When I'd first opened the back of the frame, I'd hoped there would be a label, a tag, something to send me in a clear direction. But all I'd found was a scrap of paper that had a few words on it. and most of them had been cut in half when the scrap was torn from a larger sheet.

There was what I suspected was half of a name, a surname that might have been the painter's. There was also a city, and a bit of a date. I thought about those scraps of information while I worked on the surface of the painting. Restoring and conserving important works of art takes a level of skill and study. that we knew we wouldn't even be approaching in our semester at the community center.

There was what I suspected was half of a name, a surname that might have been the painter's. There was also a city, and a bit of a date. I thought about those scraps of information while I worked on the surface of the painting. Restoring and conserving important works of art takes a level of skill and study. that we knew we wouldn't even be approaching in our semester at the community center.

There was what I suspected was half of a name, a surname that might have been the painter's. There was also a city, and a bit of a date. I thought about those scraps of information while I worked on the surface of the painting. Restoring and conserving important works of art takes a level of skill and study. that we knew we wouldn't even be approaching in our semester at the community center.

We kept it simple. We would clean the top layers of dust and soot from the art with very gentle cleansers and reframe our pieces and learn the best way to care for them going forward. I liked taking a new thin dowel from the tray on my workbench, tearing off a piece of cotton and winding it around the tip till I had a long swab. Most often I cleaned just with water.

We kept it simple. We would clean the top layers of dust and soot from the art with very gentle cleansers and reframe our pieces and learn the best way to care for them going forward. I liked taking a new thin dowel from the tray on my workbench, tearing off a piece of cotton and winding it around the tip till I had a long swab. Most often I cleaned just with water.

We kept it simple. We would clean the top layers of dust and soot from the art with very gentle cleansers and reframe our pieces and learn the best way to care for them going forward. I liked taking a new thin dowel from the tray on my workbench, tearing off a piece of cotton and winding it around the tip till I had a long swab. Most often I cleaned just with water.

working my way slowly over the surface of the painting. As I did, hidden details I'd never seen before emerged. In the green space through the window, I uncovered a tiny hill sitting in the distance, dotted with minuscule houses. Among the bottles and jars on the shelf was a small, black key propped against a cup. What door did that open? The woman herself became much more human.

working my way slowly over the surface of the painting. As I did, hidden details I'd never seen before emerged. In the green space through the window, I uncovered a tiny hill sitting in the distance, dotted with minuscule houses. Among the bottles and jars on the shelf was a small, black key propped against a cup. What door did that open? The woman herself became much more human.

working my way slowly over the surface of the painting. As I did, hidden details I'd never seen before emerged. In the green space through the window, I uncovered a tiny hill sitting in the distance, dotted with minuscule houses. Among the bottles and jars on the shelf was a small, black key propped against a cup. What door did that open? The woman herself became much more human.

There were lines around her mouth, as if she'd spent many years smiling and laughing. and her hair, which had seemed a simple, plain color, turned out to have thin streaks of darker and lighter shades mixed in. It seemed that every time I sat down to work on another square inch of the canvas, time would race past me, and I'd be shocked to hear that my hours in the studio were up.

There were lines around her mouth, as if she'd spent many years smiling and laughing. and her hair, which had seemed a simple, plain color, turned out to have thin streaks of darker and lighter shades mixed in. It seemed that every time I sat down to work on another square inch of the canvas, time would race past me, and I'd be shocked to hear that my hours in the studio were up.

There were lines around her mouth, as if she'd spent many years smiling and laughing. and her hair, which had seemed a simple, plain color, turned out to have thin streaks of darker and lighter shades mixed in. It seemed that every time I sat down to work on another square inch of the canvas, time would race past me, and I'd be shocked to hear that my hours in the studio were up.

I got so connected to what I was doing that I lost track of anything else. Many a cup of tea had gone cold beside me as I looked closer at the scene on my easel. When I got to that dark smudge in the corner, I held my breath. My teacher stood beside me, and a few others crowded around. We were all invested in each of the pieces that we'd brought in.

I got so connected to what I was doing that I lost track of anything else. Many a cup of tea had gone cold beside me as I looked closer at the scene on my easel. When I got to that dark smudge in the corner, I held my breath. My teacher stood beside me, and a few others crowded around. We were all invested in each of the pieces that we'd brought in.

I got so connected to what I was doing that I lost track of anything else. Many a cup of tea had gone cold beside me as I looked closer at the scene on my easel. When I got to that dark smudge in the corner, I held my breath. My teacher stood beside me, and a few others crowded around. We were all invested in each of the pieces that we'd brought in.

hoped to find enough of a name under the dust and dirt to decipher the artist. I plucked my swab from the tray, wound it with a fresh bit of cotton, and dampened it just a bit in a saucer of clear water. Then, bit by bit rolled it over the surface careful to lift off just the soot and not any chips of paint a few letters began to emerge like shapes coming clear from a retreating fog

hoped to find enough of a name under the dust and dirt to decipher the artist. I plucked my swab from the tray, wound it with a fresh bit of cotton, and dampened it just a bit in a saucer of clear water. Then, bit by bit rolled it over the surface careful to lift off just the soot and not any chips of paint a few letters began to emerge like shapes coming clear from a retreating fog

hoped to find enough of a name under the dust and dirt to decipher the artist. I plucked my swab from the tray, wound it with a fresh bit of cotton, and dampened it just a bit in a saucer of clear water. Then, bit by bit rolled it over the surface careful to lift off just the soot and not any chips of paint a few letters began to emerge like shapes coming clear from a retreating fog