[Richard Budig]

Michelle, others:

Au contraire, the Frenchman said.

I recently left a couple of giclee canvas prints out in the barn overnight, and lo, it rained, and (you guessed it) it dripped on one of my canvasses. The repeated drop of rain, stripped a spot the length of the canvas. It was nearly white at the top, graduating to a darker, but obvious, run the length of the canvas.

Perhaps there are different inks out there, but this has made me quite skittish about my giclees until I have fixed them with the Bulldog spray that I use, followed by the acrylic varnish I use, which, by the way, is made by Minnwax. It comes in dull, semi-gloss, and gloss. If you try the Minnwax be sure the ink has been thoroughly set before applying the liquid varnish, or you'll have more runs.

One way to check the inks your guy is using would be to see if he'll give you a strip of canvas that didn't turn out for him, and put it in or under water and see what happens.

I don't want to be an alarmist, but it's too, too late AFTER your painting has run.