A Welcomed Delivery

Today I received a very important package in the mail. No, it wasn’t the latest gadget from Amazon. It was however, two of my trompe l’oeil paintings  that were on loan at the John F. Peto Studio Museum, NJ. I’m happy to say that they’ve made their round trip journey in safe keeping. A huge thanks goes out to the staff at the Peto Museum for their attentive repacking of my artwork. Continue reading to see how I packaged my artwork.

Recently, I’ve been asked how I shipped the expensive art pieces cross-country. I’m including a few photos of the custom crate that I built for this trip.

This is a clamshell design where each painting is crated up in reclaimed cabinet-grade plywood and topped with a thin sheet of masonite. A set of hinges  and a corresponding latch binds the crates together  in the center like a book. This allows me to ship them together as one package.

Each half is lined with a foam sleeve that the painting fits into. The sleeve was constructed from a queen-sized bed foam liner that I purchased specifically for shipping materials. The paintings were wrapped in white butcher paper to protect  anything from sticking or imprinting into the paintings or frames. Once wrapped in paper, I then bubble wrapped the piece for added protection and slipped the whole thing into the foam sleeves.

*Pro Tip: Never bubble wrap directly over an art piece if it is compressed into shipping containers. The pressure can leave round bubble imprints on your piece. I know this from experience, trust me.

The crate obviously weighs more than cardboard boxes, but it’s really worth it when you’re securing valuable work. This isn’t the only way to package your art, it’s just my way. Feel free to comment or suggest your favorite methods if you wish. 

Absolute: 1: oil on panel. 12″ x 13 1/2″. 11.5.12.

Absolute: Division: Oil on reclaimed cherry in an 1800’s Victorian molded frame. 14″ x 12″. 3.8.13.