Oil Paintings

My sister-in-law started this by bringing back the above oil painting by Nguyen Minh Son from Ho Chi Minh. It's pretty big and occupies 1 wall in her home. The artist paints these giant lollipop trees in a rural setting in various bright cheery colours. So I made sure to keep an eye out for nice oil paintings on my holiday in Hanoi.

I finally got my oil paintings back from the framers. I can't begin to tell you how much trouble it has been. This "Boy with Water Buffalo" by Pham Duc Nghia was small enough for me to bring back as is, already stretched. But anything bigger had to be rolled up. Who knew stretching a canvas and framing can actually cost more than the painting itself! I should have just shipped them back.

This "Schoolgirls with flowers" by Tran Trong Thuong was too big to be shipped back and had to be rolled up into a tube. I was advised to quickly unroll it when I got back to ensure the oils don't stick to the paper. Too late, When I unrolled it, bits of brown paper were already stuck to the painting. I think the cabin pressure must have contributed to this. Thank goodness my framer was experienced enough to help me restore it as well. She also did a good job choosing the frame and style. Now it looks like a serious artwork to be hung in a gallery.