Handling & Transporting Artwork

Most Plein Air painters use wet panel carriers because they are literally transporting artwork wet from the field. I recommend transporting artwork to my studio in a wet panel carrier. It protects them from damage in your car (sudden stop) and keeps them clean. Also, be sure to clean out your cases from time to time with compressed air or simply washing them with water and placing them upside down to dry.

If you don’t have a wet panel carrier, placing artwork in a box with cloth or wax paper between pieces also works, but be careful if your artwork has thick impasto. Consider even an inexpensive cardboard carrier.

For transporting and handling large artwork, consider making a DIY Custom Artwork Carrier, here are the instructions.

Protect your Artwork from Dust

Dust on a painting, especially a freshly-varnished one, flares up when I photograph it. Frequently I carefully remove dust from dry paintings before I shoot them with a very low pressure air cleaner (the same kind photographers use to clean lenses). I strive to make the images of your art as perfect as possible. I know that you as an artist see the paint, but please be mindful of what happens to your art after you complete it. Varnish it in a clean setting. Keep your art carriers clean to help me to accurately reproduce your artwork.

How Rossow Photography Handles Artwork

I frequently handle wet or freshly-varnished paintings, many of my clients bring them to me to shoot them before a show or shipping them to galleries. Please let me know if your painting is still wet, recently varnished or has thick impasto. I keep my studio clean and carefully handle your art while photographing it. If I know in advance, I will handle them from the sides and return them to their cases after shooting. If a painting is wet and by rare chance I get paint on my hands from even the side of the canvas I will let you know so you can touch it up if need be.

Recent Painting Photos

Paul Oxborough painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Bar Longh 32x34

Bar Longh

by Paul Oxborough
Carol Weissenborn painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life

by Carol Weissenborn
Adam Turner painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Morning Rounds

Morning Rounds

by Adam Turner
Carol Weissenborn painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Flow

Flow

by Carol Weissenborn
Mary Pettis painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Sunlit Textures 22x18

Sunlit Textures

by Mary Pettis
Kevin Komadina painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Days End

Days End

by Kevin Komadina
Nanci Fulmek painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Thirty Below

Thirty Below

by Nanci Fulmek
Steve Levin painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Books and Butterflies 8

Books and Butterflies 8

by Steven J. Levin
Steve Levin painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Alley Cat

Alley Cat – Charcoal

by Steven J. Levin
Hannah Heyer painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Moonlight and Frost 16x20

Moonlight and Frost

by Hannah Heyer
James Vose painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Red Plumbs Ripening, or Columbus and His Crew Begin to Worry That the Stories Were True
Victoria Helen painting photographed by Mitch Rossow - Vesta

Vesta

by Victoria Helen

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier

Here is how to make a simple, inexpensive carrying case for transporting and handling artwork.

Materials you will need.

  • Reflectix Double Reflective Insulation Roll. Available at most home stores like Home Depot and on Amazon. It’s very affordable ranging from $10-$50 depending on size.
  • Wide Gorilla tape or a strong duct tape
  • Straight edge
  • Sharp knife
  • Tape measure
Reflectix Double Reflective Insulation Rolls

Step 1 – Measure & cut Reflectix

The width of the Reflectix should be the long edge of the artwork plus 6 inches.

The height should be twice the height of the short edge plus 12 inches.

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier 01

Step 2 – Fold the Reflectix

Fold the Reflectix in half so with back end 6-inches longer than the front.

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier 02a

Step 3 – Tape together

Use the Gorilla or duct tape to tape the pocket together. The tape should be the length of the seam. Put tape on both the inside and outside of the pocket. No sticky-side of the tape should be exposed. You could reenforce the bottom with a layer of tape too.

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier

Step 4 – Fold the top flap down

The top end of the back side folds forward to seal the artwork inside.

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier

Step 5 – Sealing the artwork inside

Use a less-sticky tape to seal the carrier. When you tape the carrier closed, fold half an inch of the tape edge over so the tape can be easily pulled up. This makes opening the carrier much easier.

Or, you can avoid the extra tape by putting the painting in the carrier facing away from you, and tuck the flap inside against the back, like a sandwich bag.

DIY Custom Transporting Artwork Carrier 05a