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Topic: How to ship a large painting?  (Read 2255 times)

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How to ship a large painting?
« on: April 27, 2009, 05:18:32 AM »
So most of my things are just going to be packed into extra luggage when I fly over (and my boyfriend/husband-to-be is taking some things back with him on his next visit). I don;t have much I want to take, so that seems the easiest and least expensive route...

But I am running into a bit of trouble when it comes to artwork. The piece I'm worrying most about is a painting I did years ago that's about a 3 foot by 4 foot canvas. I really don't want to leave it behind, but I have no idea how to get it over there without it being damaged or costing a small fortune...

Has anyone ever had experience shipping large paintings before?
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2009, 04:11:47 PM »
I haven't, but a good friend moved all her art with her to Germany a few years ago.  I know it wasn't cheap, but I'm happy to ask her who she used if you like.


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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2009, 04:52:28 PM »
Thank you! I'd really appreciate it!

If it's too much, I might end up having to sell it, and while it wouldn't be devastating, I'd still be kind of sad. :(
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2009, 05:09:50 PM »
My husband just happens to be in Germany and is seeing her tomorrow, so I've asked him to get the details.  I'll post when I know. :)


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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2009, 05:19:36 PM »
Can you take it out of the canvas, roll it for shipping, then have it reframed when you get here?


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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2009, 05:27:16 PM »
I think I would damage it more if I did it that way, to be honest... plus framing that would cost even more, since it's so large... hmm. maybe I'll look into how much framing will cost. :/

[EDIT: right now it's an unframed, stretched canvas... I'd have to unstaple the thing, and have never done that before.]
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2009, 05:32:59 PM »
Do not sell it!  If you are that attached, find a way.  Some things I sold or gave away for ease or extra expense I now regret.  

When I returned to London one Christmas I wanted to bring back my favorite picture, so we wrapped it in loads of bubble wrap, and cut up a couple boxes, then put it in a thin, long box to ship, marking it extra fragile, and checking it with my bags.  I think the guy at the counter was nice enough not to charge me extra (not sure if I batted my eyes or played dumb), and it arrived safe and sound.
On the move back, I wrapped it basically the same, and it came with all my other things.

Worst case scenario, put it in storage or give it to a trusted friend with the agreement you'll take it back once you're able.
Hollywood, CA -> London, UK 2004
London, UK -> Long Beach, CA 2007

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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2009, 05:39:55 PM »
I was wondering about wrapping it and taking it on the plane with me... but it's just so large and they aren't at all gentle with luggage...

LOL. I'm SO paranoid about stuff.
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2009, 05:41:19 PM »
I see. Unfortunately I don't know enough to say if it would be ruined or not. Have you checked with Mailboxes, Etc or anyone to see if they do packages for this nature? Even if they package it for you in a secure box you could check it in with your other stuff at the airport.


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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2009, 05:52:28 PM »
I haven't checked with them yet, but I plan on calling around a bit. Just thought I'd check here first to see if anyone had a similar experience...
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2009, 07:59:57 PM »
I had several paintings of mine that I unstapled from their stretchers, rolled up and put in my suitcase; they all fared well but they were acrylic on canvas. Acrylic paintings are so tough you can roll them. I have not had them restretched yet, however, and so cannot tell you what it might cost for that service.

But I would not do that (remove from stretchers and roll up) if your painting is oil on canvas.
If it is, the only advice I can add is NOT to do what I did with the one oil painting I had. Although I left it stretched and did not roll it, I shipped it with my ocean freight shipment but I did not protect it properly from things I packed it next to, things I wrapped it with, and from the inevitable heat it was going to endure by crossing the Gulf of Mexico in July (!!) Result was that when it arrived and I unwrapped it, the paint had wrinkled in places, and in other spots a kind of in-place melt-then-reset had clearly occurred because of the high temperatures the shipment had been through. The image is still okay actually, just the surface texture that has suffered.

It doesn't sound like you plan to put your painting through a two-month shipping journey, just the plane, but if it's oil make sure you get some pro advice about what to do with it. If happens to be acrylic, you can abuse those quite a bit and they will be fine.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2009, 08:05:39 PM by Midnight blue »
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2009, 09:00:01 PM »
It's actually neither.... I was experimenting painting with house paint! :)

It had a really neat effect.

So rolling it SHOULD be fine... But I'm not sure what to so with it beyond that, as it still would be 3 feet long. I need to get some tubes to pack other artwork in... I wonder If I can get several tubes to fit into a box... that could work...
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2009, 09:02:06 PM »
I shipped an old and probably somewhat valuable oil painting of my great-great-great grandmother in a regular cardboard picture box with the rest of my stuff. It came through fine.

Gad, she's an ugly old bag.


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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2009, 09:23:32 PM »
It's actually neither.... I was experimenting painting with house paint! :)

It had a really neat effect.

So rolling it SHOULD be fine... But I'm not sure what to so with it beyond that, as it still would be 3 feet long. I need to get some tubes to pack other artwork in... I wonder If I can get several tubes to fit into a box... that could work...

Housepaint -- cool!

As many modern housepaints are more or less acrylic of some kind, it should stand up to wear and tear by rolling, but I see your challenge with the size, being three feet. Rolled, tubed, then boxed with other things and put into cargo, or if just tubed by itself, I wonder if they would let you bring it into the cabin and have it put in an attendant's closet, as they did with my guitar (which is about three feet tall too)?
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Re: How to ship a large painting?
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2009, 11:34:26 PM »
you know, they might, as I know they can do that with some framed artwork (I used to work as a caricature artist, and that was part of the spiel, haha).

I think it was latex paint, but I can't remember.

Like I said before, I might just get a bunch of tubes (since I have more artwork and things that need to come along too) and tape them together into an unholy multi-tube package of doom. Then wrap the whole thing in bubblewrap and more cardboard. lol.

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