MASTERING INPAINTING is a multidisciplinary

master class for conservators of paper, objects and paintings.

James Bernstein and Debra Evans, Instructors

MASTERING INPAINTING or MASTERING FILLS is tailored to each      James Bernstein & Debra Evans

group of participants and may be given wherever facilities, sponsorship               

and hosting are possible.  These four-day intensive courses are for conservators wishing to improve their mastery of inpainting skills.  A broad overview of this complicated topic is covered, as well as considerable attention to details critical for various points of the compensation process.  Keys to problem solving are offered to help conservators find appropriate and successful treat -ment solutions for differing compensation challenges.

A combination of lecture, discussion and studio/laboratory sessions cover the following:

    Inpainting criteria.

    Adaptation of environments for each compensation requirement.

    Light, color and optics: theory and practical phenomena.

    Survey of pigments and their properties.

    Preparation for compensation: isolation and fills.

    Inpainting media and toning systems: resins (natural & synthetic), watercolor,

         gums, cellulose fiber, pencils, pastels, dry pigments, and other coloring agents.

    Inpainting palettes and diluents.

    Inpainting modifiers: bulking, matting, polishing, and glossing agents.

    Application instruments, methods, and tips.

    Medium/pigment/diluent variations for adjusting surface sheen: high gloss, lean/matte,

          transparent, opaque, stained, and other structures.

    Simulation of patina and age effects.

    Philosophical dialogue: degrees and appropriateness of compensation; discernibility,

          longevity and reversibility of restorations.

Mock-ups and a diverse range of inpainting media are provided for studio sessions. Participants are encouraged to bring small artifact examples or expendable items for experimentation, personal favorite inpainting materials (media, palettes, tools, brushes) and 'studio tips' for demonstration. 

A multi-disciplinary viewpoint is emphasized.  Conservators from diverse specializations and backgrounds -- paintings, objects, paper, etc.; traditional and/or modern -- are invited to interact with colleagues, sharing their knowledge and experiences, favorable and otherwise.

Co-taught by Bernstein and Evans for many venues, the course has also been presented by Jim numerous times as sole instructor.  Conservators Meg Loew Craft and Margo MacFarland have joined Bernstein to co-teach Mastering Fills Workshops. 

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Mt. Carroll, IL October 1994

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 1996

J. Paul Getty Museum, Paper Conservation, Los Angeles, CA March 1999

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 1999

Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center, New York University June 2000

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, CANADA September 2000

Mellon/J. Paul Getty Museum, Collaborative Workshop, Photo Compensation January 2001

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 2001

Oakland Museum of California April 2002

Museum of Modern Art, New York July 2002

Smithsonian Institution, SCMRE, Washington, D.C. November 2002

Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California Los Angeles April 2003

New England Conservation Association / Straus Center, Harvard University July 2003

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 2003

Mellon/J. Paul Getty Museum, Collaborative Workshop, Photo Compensation March 2004

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Legion of Honor May 2004

Moderna Museet, Stockholm, SWEDEN September 2004

Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA  August 2005. Workshop I

Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA  August 2005. Workshop II

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 2005

Winterthur Museum/University of Delaware Art Conservation Program, Wilmington, DE Nov. 2005

National Park Service, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV May 2006

Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, Shreveport, LA July–August 2006

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies October 2007

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York October 2007

Mellon /J. Paul Getty Museum, Collaborative Workshop, Photo Compensation. January 2008

National Park Service, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV May 2008

De Young Museum, FAMSF, Objects Conservation, San Francisco, CA May - June 2008

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies.   October 2009

National Park Service, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV Jun/July 2010

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies.   Upcoming:  October 2011

FAIC, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV May 2012

Southeast Regional Conservation Association, Atlanta, GA March 2003

Midwest Regional Conservation Guild/Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies Oct. 2007

        

               

         

History of MASTERING INPAINTING Workshops

History of MASTERING FILLS Workshops

Legion of Honor Workshop, San Francisco, May 2004