How Do You Clean Plaster Art?

Whether it is abstract painted plaster artwork or natural botanicals forever suspended on a plaster surface, these art pieces' sculptural origins soften any space, add necessary contrast, and entice viewers. But how do you dust or clean plaster art?

How do you clean a delicate surface like plaster or the natural botanicals captured on its surface?

Dried wild meadow plants on a plaster field remind us of nature's delicate, tough, wild things. We are drawn to their natural symmetry: their ordered stamens, pistils, leaves, blades, and seed heads. They are delicate even in their mention.

But there is an easy way of dusting this breakable, dimensional, textured artwork that doesn't leave you fearing that the plaster or botanicals' delicate edges and parts will be permanently broken off. Keep reading below.

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Plaster is one of the oldest painting supports, and it was initially applied to walls for fresco paintings. Over time, our love of texture has incorporated plaster as a key visual component of artwork, and today, artists use traditional plaster, heavy-body acrylics, and even drywall compounds in their recipes to create exciting and unique art.

What to use to clean or dust plaster and plaster botanical art:

• Use a soft-bristled artist brush to clean or dust plaster art or botanical art. There it is. An artist's small-headed brush with long bristles allows for a more open movement that will not push off the delicate tips of plant pistils or seed heads. This type of brush is typically made for watercolour painting; an artist's small-headed fan brush will also work.

• You may have something on hand that is soft and gentle that will work! Remember, the fewer the bristles on the brush, the softer the dusting movement, which is the goal.

What SHOULD NOT be used to clean plaster art:

• A can of pressurized air. I tried a can of pressurized air, thinking it could be a hands-off way to combat dust. The air came out too strong to control and dislodged delicate parts. Increasing the distance between the can of air and art does help, but it remains a reckless choice.

• Water. Plaster remains porous unless it is coated with a sealer. Although some artists apply a protective plastic layer to seal the surface, keeping wetness away from plaster and botanicals is a good practice. If you know it has been painted over with an acrylic (plastic) paint or a sealer, a light touch with soap and water and a soft brush, as described above, can be used.

• A cloth. Probably self-explanatory, a cloth has far too much abrasion power, and who knows what the hanging part is doing?

• A makeup brush. Although your new and clean makeup brush may be soft, its filaments (hairs) are likely too densely arranged and not good at gently brushing dust off delicately stemmed botanicals. However, a small-headed and openly arranged makeup fan-type brush might be an option.

 

How to repair a broken piece from a plaster artwork:

Dimensional plaster artwork adds interest and variety to an art collection and is sometimes hung where guests can easily view it. However, this can mean it may be accidentally knocked or brushed against. It is easy to fix a broken-off piece.

• If a piece of dried plant or plaster is broken off, it can usually be easily fixed. Use simple liquid glue (that dries clear) to restore the broken part to the surface. I am also happy to repair your plaster art in my studio.

• Choose a glue that will dry clear, and apply it only underneath the piece. Read the glue container to make sure it dries clear and does not remain white when dry. Almost all glues dry with a sheen, so focus the glue where it won't be seen.

• Use a couple of sewing pins or painter's tape to hold a broken-off piece in place while the glue dries. If you have sewing pins, gently pierce or, better yet, place a pin on each side of the dislodged piece, tightly up against it, into the plaster background. Alternatively, a length of painter's tape is gentle enough to hold the piece down securely on either side until the glue is firm.

 

 

Be still our plaster hearts.

My hand-made all-wood frames, whitewashed, natural, or craggy barnboard add to these versatile tonal textural pieces.

• Natural wild florals as art. I make contemporary botanicals sprayed with matte white paint that I then suspend in raw plaster. These plaster fields (backgrounds) are usually white but sometimes are tinted, painted on, or smudged haphazardly over wood panels.

• Plaster abstracts. These raw abstract plasters were inspired by rain streaks during an unlikely train trip. These larger pieces with dimensionality show best when a light source can play over their highlights and shadows.

• Pet Memory Frames. I also add dried, wild botanicals as part of the offered embellishments for the Memory Frames, the NEW ultimate stylish gift to celebrate a beloved pet. (I am offering these interior extras for FREE until Nov 15th, 2024, have a look here)

"It is a good idea to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presence may haunt and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought."- Unknown