Frequently Asked Questions


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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do you ship framed art work?

A. Framed art work is shipped with regular plexiglass rather than glass. This avoids the possibility of breakage that would ruin a piece of art. Non-glare plexiglass is available for an additional fee. Call us at 817-558-4108 for individual quotes on non-glare plexiglass.

Q. How should an oil painting be cleaned?

A. If the painting has been sealed with varnish it will have a shiny finish on the canvas and it can be cleaned with a damp cloth with mild liquid soap. If it isn’t sealed, then just dust it with a dry cloth.

Q. Will my painting or print fade in time?

A. Paintings and prints should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Also a print should be framed with a UV protection glass to block out harmful sunlight. A print that has not been framed properly with acid free backing, mats and glass, when exposed to bright light for an extended time will fade out to all blue tones.

Q. Should I put a glass on my oil painting?

A. No, an oil painting needs to have air and the back should not be sealed with paper. If sealed it could develop mold from moisture over time.

Q. What is a canvas transfer?

A. A paper print is sealed with a special acrylic finish and then laminated onto a canvas with a heat process which results in the canvas texture. It looks very similar to an oil on canvas.

Q. What is a giclee? (pronounced G-clay)

A. A giclee is a process where the artwork is printed directly on the canvas. It produces a sharper, clearer image and is more expensive to produce.

Q. What is the difference in an open edition and a limited edition?

A. An open edition is a print with unlimited copies printed. A limited edition is when only a certain number of prints are done. They are hand numbered and signed by the artist. There will never be any more of this print in circulation.

Q. How should a person determine the right mat and framing for art work?

A. We have experienced designers and framers that will choose the best matting and frames to properly accent the art work to the best advantage.

Q. Should all my art pieces in a room have the same frames on them?

A. Not necessarily. If some of the frames are gold, then you should probably put gold frames on the others but they don’t have to be the exact same style. If you room is very casual then you should select casual or wood tone frames to be consist and in your style.

Q. Do you have a retail gallery with paintings and prints on display?

A. Texas Art Mart has temporarily closed the showroom in the Nolan River Mall as we look for another location. In the meantime our online gallery is still open and we look forward to serving your needs. If you need additional information please email us at info@texasartmart.com

Q. Do you make art appraisals?

A. No, we do not appraise art. This is a specialized field. Appraisers must be certified. The larger museums might be able to direct you to an art appraiser.

Q. I am an artist and would like to know if you buy art from private collections?

A. No, we only buy art wholesale from a selected list of suppliers. We do not buy from individual artists.

Q. If I am looking for a specific piece of art, could you get it for me?

A. We would need the name of the art and the artist’s name and would try to locate it for you.

Q. What is your expected delivery time on an order?

A. You should allow for two weeks delivery; however we will try to ship the order out sooner than two weeks.

Q. What type of payment do you accept? I don’t like to give my credit card information out.

A. We prefer payment by Pay Pal. They accept Visa, MasterCard ,American Express and Discover it is guaranteed to be completely safe (Discover can only be used through PayPal) Due to the high volume of counterfeit checks and stolen checks we prefer credit cards or PayPal. For other payment options call 817-558-4108

Q. How do you ship unframed prints?

A. Prints without a mat or frame are rolled and placed in a heavy cardboard tube.

Q. What is the "Lost Wax" method used to produce bronzes?

A. The artist sculpts the piece from wood, clay or whatever medium they decide to use:

From this a rubber mold is made, capturing every detail of the original. This rubber mold is used to make duplicate sculptures.

Hot molten wax is then poured into the rubber mold making an exact copy of the original.

The wax casting is removed from the mold and it is hand finished to perfection.

The casting is then coated in several layers of powder and ceramic sand.

The piece is then put into a kiln and fired, melting out the wax in the process, leaving a hollow shell (thus the name "Lost Wax".

The ceramic shell is removed from the firing kiln and is immediately filled with molten bronze, poured at a temperature of 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. (Bronze is made up of 95% copper, .02% lead, .02% tin, .06% zinc and 4% silicon.)

After cooling for several hours the ceramic is broken away, leaving the bronze sculpture.

Sand blasting is used to remove traces of the ceramic shell that sticks to the bronze.

Finishing the piece is done by grinding, sanding and polishing, blending all area to the artist’s original sculpture.

Finally the bronze is treated with heat and chemicals to give it the proper color according to the artist’s specification. The finish is then sealed with a wax coating and becomes a permanent part of the sculpture.