The fact that conservator John Slavin - who can "restore anything on paper", including fine art, maps and photographs - will be coming to Bermuda in April to conduct a clinic can only be good news for everyone whose paper-based treasures have been affected by our punishing climate.

Without proper precautions, the ravages of humidity, dampness and exposure to too-bright light are hard to avoid, as residents know only too well.

What the experts call "foxing" - little brown spots on the paper - as well as mildew under the glass and on mattes, faded paint pigments, and even overall browning of paper, are all signs that the extremes of temperature and humidity and other factors have been at work.

Incorrect framing is another contributor to the deterioration of paper-based art and photography.

Mr. Slavin, who holds a degree in art conservation from Queen's University in Canada, has spent years working for museums and galleries in Toronto and London, and describes his expertise as a combination of two areas: artistic and scientific.

"You need to appreciate and be able to work in the manner in which the artist worked, and understand art history," he says. "You also need to have a very good understanding of organic chemistry, as well as the science of how materials interact and how they age. It is difficult to find people with both artistic and scientific expertise."

Small wonder, then, that Mr. Slavin's services are in great demand. How he came to assist in conserving some of Bermuda's art treasures is thanks to his friendship with Masterworks Foundation director, Tom Butterfield, whom he first met in the 1970s when both were studying photography at Ryerson University. It would be 25 years before their paths crossed again, and in 1999 Mr. Slavin came to Bermuda to begin conservation on paintings for inclusion in the Foundation's travelling exhibition.

"I like Masterworks because it realises how serious it is to preserve," he says.

"It is a serious commitment financially, and I have tremendous admiration for Tom and assistant director Elise Outerbridge. It is only people with a real passion for art, and a vision for preserving works of art for posterity, that make that commitment, and it is always very rewarding to work with such people.

"I understand the difficulty in coordinating these things, and getting money together to carry them out, but if Masterworks had not looked after restoring some pieces in their collection, they would have represented a loss in cultural property. There are so many museums with a lot more resources that commit a lot less to the preservation of their collections, which is a shame."

Because the work is so painstaking and time consuming, it does not come cheaply, but the man who has had to restore "everything from a Rembrandt print to a baseball card worth $32,000" says that in the end "no matter what you get, you have to treat it with the same consideration".

Mr. Slavin's chosen career is an extension of his childhood love of meticulously copying works of art.

"It was something I had a talent for and loved doing," he says. "I think the qualities you need to do that are paying particular attention to the way something is created, and then recreating it in the same manner. It is a certain sensitivity to how an artist has made a work of art that is really at the heart of restoring art."

Step one is to understand the object in terms of what materials are there, and to look at how those materials have deteriorated.

"Everyone in Bermuda is familiar with how pollutants, fungus and mould can destroy paper," he says. "There is also light exposure, which can cause discoloration and deterioration, as well as the fading of paint pigments. Even such things as extremes of temperature and humidity can cause all kinds of damage to paper and paint. Also, works of art with the wrong materials can cause a lot of deterioration. That is where the chemistry comes in."

Improper framing can also have a detrimental effect on paper.

"Things like cardboard and wood framing with chemicals in it are agents of deterioration, so paper should never come in contact with them," the conservator says.

Before any project begins, Mr. Slavin says he must first determine what has caused the deterioration and then the best treatment options.

"You first have to understand how the agents of deterioration work, and then the treatment options which are available to treat that deterioration. A lot of analysis gets done before you start doing things to a work of art. There are a variety of treatment options available, generally involving water or organic solvents and various chemical agents, as well as various materials and adhesives for repairing the physical damage to paper objects. All these things have to be used in such a way that they don't alter the work of art from its original appearance. There is a lot of detective work involved. Sometimes you have to compare different paintings by an artist to see if the one you are restoring (conforms to) the intent of the artist."

When all is done, and the aim of getting as close to a painting's original values has been achieved, the next step is to ensure that it remains that way, which is where framing, exhibiting and storing it correctly come in.

Certainly, Mr. Butterfield is ecstatic about the work his long-time friend has done in restoring some of the Masterworks collection.

"The Edward James watercolour of St. George's harbour was in such bad condition that people said it should never see the light of day again, but John has restored it and the detailing is quite extraordinary," he says. "Ogden Pleisner's `Shinbone Alley' had been taken to the Bahamas and the fading was unbelievable, but thanks to John's brilliance it has been restored to its full splendour."

Asked what advice he would give to Bermuda residents who own paper-based art to help preserve them from deterioration and damage, Mr. Slavin listed the following:

When framing a work of art ensure that the proper materials are used. Works on paper should be mounted on 100 percent rag fibre (acid free) paper. Insist on "acid free" matteing plus back and front backing. These details should also be stated on your invoice. If you discover later that the firm did not frame it as you instructed, you can then take them to court.

Display in a place where there is minimum exposure to moisture and intense light. Light causes fading or discoloration. Mould will come back.

Keep in a dry environment. `Dry' means under 70 percent humidity.

Good air circulation helps. If you have good art, use a dehumidifier. Ensure that air circulates behind a painting by putting some tacks on the back of the frame to keep it off the wall a half-inch. "Foxing" is very common, and gets worse over time unless you have it in the proper environment.

Try to keep pictures away from external walls because temperature changes in them can cause condensation in the frames.

Keep things clean. If you see any mold growth on the glass or mounting clean with alcohol, which sterilises. Take the picture off the wall and clean behind the frame.

Sunlight is the worst. As long as it is coming into the room you have very intense light present. Any sunlight in the room at all means that you have an exposure to 10,000 lux of light, whereas the average tungsten bulb is 50 lux, so you can see what sunlight does. Watercolours and pastels fade a lot faster than oils, and the former are particularly vulnerable to strong light. Different colours have to be light-stabilised in general. Black is the most stable colour and yellows the least stable. Ultraviolet filtering glass is helpful, but only necessary where there is any sunlight. While UV only filters out the most damaging light, it is also only a small component of the light spectrum. Anything that reduces the amount of light coming in is good.

For further details of Mr. Slavin's April clinic, which is expected to include a lecture, and an opportunity for people to bring in their works of art for advice, please contact Elise Outerbridge at the Masterworks Foundation ( 236-2950.