restoration
Do you have a favourite something that needs repair? Something you don’t want to dump in a landfill, but which definitely looks broken? You don’t want to have people see it looking like that, but you don’t want to store it away either? For example, many garden implements come to Susan (Mrs. Fix-it) for repair – the weather can be very hard on them, especially through the winter.
Concrete Garden Angel Ornament
This came to Susan in several pieces, and the base of the column had to be drilled so that a rod could be inserted to return stability to the statue. Other chips were pasted on with epoxy glue or remodelled in cement.
A Valuable 19th Century Art Nouveau Cast Bronze Table Ornament
The head was unstable and had to be removed, and the hand had broken off. It had to be drilled so that a tiny nail could be inserted in both the hand and the wrist, to place it back in its original position.
A Reproduction Terra Cotta Chinese Warrior
A reproduction terra cotta Chinese warrior (purchased in China) had deteriorated badly through the freeze-thaw cycles typical of a Canadian winter. Literally hundreds of small shards were picked up from the site, including the head (the neck had disappeared) and most of the detail around the lower legs and skirt of the uniform. Having researched the famous warriors on the web, Susan pieced together some of the identifiable pieces, and moulded the remainder in concrete. Sections were then sanded and tinted to match the rest of the piece. The “General” as he is known was placed back in his woody location, but this time inside a strong open hut which keeps the weather from harming him again.
Furniture, Rugs, Evening Gowns
Susan’s fix-it skills are not limited to statues. She also receives requests for repairs to pieces of furniture, rugs, even evening gowns. For example, she turned this badly chewed rug into one that was to be donated to an auction to raise money for the endangered sea turtles of Nicaragua. She used woven fibres, embroidery and scenic paint.
Please Note: Susan regrets that she is unwilling to restore paintings. This is partly because she does not have the technical training to do this, and partly because she is a painter. As she says, it is irresistible not to “make it her own work.”