Caring for Your Original Painting

Every piece from Tread Lightly Art is a one-of-a-kind original, made with acrylic paint on canvas board or stretched canvas. With a little care, it will hold its color and texture for decades. Here's how to keep it looking its best.

Displaying Your Piece

Keep it out of direct sunlight. Acrylic paint is fade-resistant, but prolonged direct sun exposure will still dull colors over time. A spot with indirect or filtered light is ideal.

Avoid humid or damp rooms. Bathrooms, uninsulated garages, and rooms with poor airflow can warp canvas board over time. Living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways are safe bets.

Mind the temperature. Extreme heat or cold (like near a radiator, vent, or an exterior wall in a non-climate-controlled space) can cause the canvas or board to expand and contract, leading to cracking over the years.

Hanging Your Piece

Canvas board pieces are lightweight and can be hung with a simple sawtooth hanger, Command strip, or small nail — no special hardware needed.

Stretched canvas pieces have more depth and weight. Use a picture hook rated for the piece's size, and consider two hooks for larger works (20" and up) to keep it level.

Framing is optional. Many pieces look great unframed, showing the raw edge of the canvas board. If you do choose to frame, a simple floating frame preserves the texture and keeps the piece from feeling boxed in.

Cleaning Your Piece

Dust gently, occasionally. A soft, dry microfiber cloth or a clean, dry paintbrush works well for light dust. Always dust in one direction rather than scrubbing.

Never use water, glass cleaner, or household cleaning products directly on the paint surface — these can strip or discolor acrylic paint.

If a piece has heavy texture (thick brushstrokes or palette knife work), a can of compressed air held at a distance can help clear dust from crevices without touching the surface.

A Note on Texture and Imperfections

Many pieces have visible brushstrokes, drips, or slightly raised texture — this is intentional and part of the hand-made character of the work, not a flaw. Small variations in canvas board edges or minor texture differences between photos and the piece in person are normal for original, hand-painted work.

Questions?

If you have questions about caring for a specific piece — especially anything with mixed media or an unusual surface — feel free to reach out before hanging or cleaning it.