How Do You Clean Plaster Art?

Whether it is sculptural plaster artwork or natural botanicals forever suspended on a plaster surface, these art pieces' dimensional allure soften any space, add necessary contrast, and entice viewers. But how do you dust or clean plaster 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. That's it—aside from a light touch. A small brush with long, flexible bristles glides easily through delicate plaster edges, botanical pistils, and seed heads without knocking them loose. A watercolour brush works beautifully; a small fan brush will do the job as well.

You may have a brush on hand that is soft and gentle that will work.

Remember, the fewer the bristles the better. The goal is a soft, pliable dusting movement.

What SHOULD NOT be used to clean plaster art:

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

• 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 strongly to be controlled 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. A cloth has far too much abrasion power, and who knows what the hanging part is doing?

 

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 be easily fixed (usually).

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 dries clear and apply it only under 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 the dislodged piece, or, better yet, place a pin on each side of it, 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.

 

 

Delicate natural botanicals captured on a plaster surface do need the occasional dusting.

Dried wild meadow plants on a plaster field remind us of nature's fragile but 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.

Be still, our plaster hearts.

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, unique art.

My hand-made all-wood frames, whitewashed, natural, or craggy barn board, add to these versatile, tonal, textural pieces. If you'd like to see more...

Natural wild florals as art.

I create contemporary botanicals, sprayed with matte white paint, and then suspend them in raw plaster. These plaster fields (backgrounds) are usually white but sometimes tinted, painted, or haphazardly smudged over wood panels.

Plaster abstracts.

Rain streaks inspired these raw abstract plasters during an unlikely train trip. These larger pieces with dimensionality show best when a light source can play over their highlights and shadows.

Any good excuse to be amongst wildflowers

"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