Shout out to my 18 year old talented son DOMINIC !     Dominic's artwork is a sight to behold.  Master of composition, line and color, his style is unique.  His interpretation of the world reflects his knowledge of order, balance and symmetry with a touch of abstract expressionism.   We are so proud of your accomplishments.  Keep up the great work!   Your art brings such JOY!  

www.DominiCreations.com

Click on examples of Reference and Dominic's Interpretation.

©Dominic Killliany 2016/All rights reserved 

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Wow...time does fly by!

Last post was October when the temperatures were still warm but the days were getting shorter.  Then the holidays run us all over and somehow we survive the family gatherings and the pocketbook shortage!   Well January 2015 was pleasant here in the Northeast and I could just feel that if it stays this warm, I would be teeing it up by early March.

NOT!  Boston broke the record of all record keeping since 1872 as the snowiest winter in history.  The pattern was every Wednesday and Sunday (for 8 weeks) where we endured 3 blizzards or 2+ feet or more in 3 weeks.  Then subsequent weeks were 12-18 inches not to mention the highs in the low 20's for temperatures!

Well at 6:45 pm this evening it became SPRING but guess what?  It's snowing here in Boston and there is still plenty of white stuff covering my lawn.  At this rate I won't be on the links anytime soon.

I grace all of you with this beautiful painting by my 17 year old son to usher in the new season.  It is spectacular, full of song and promise of some good weather moving forward.  Dominic had a prolific winter and why not?  We were inside all the time but I enjoyed watching him produce one masterpiece after another.  To view his entire portfolio go to www.DominiCreations.com and enjoy the masterful works of art.

Then you can keep scrolling to see what I have been up to lately. Give me the weekend to get all the projects up.  This takes time.  I wish I could photograph everything but there are a few nice examples.  Work has been steady and always enjoyable.  Feel free to contact me via email if you have something to PRESS, CONSERVE or RESTORE for Certification or simply for your collection and posterity.  

To my fellow New Englanders....this too shall pass.   All the rest of you across the globe, enjoy this next season and happy collecting!

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April is Autism Awareness Month.

I would like to salute my son Dominic on his first solo art show in our hometown of Watertown, MA at the town library to commemorate autism awareness.  His reception on the 6th was a great success.  He is only 16 and so talented and bright.  We are all proud of him.  His artwork is colorful, precise and very detailed...hmmm...where does he get that from?  If you are in the MA area and near Boston, come west about 3 miles and see the show.  You can go to his website at www.DominiCreations.com to view all of his work.  Website is also on links page. 

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Already 7 weeks into 2014 and Boston is snowed under.  

I don't know what is more paralyzing, the snow or the deep freeze but the combination is getting old now. Meterological winter ends in 2 weeks. Looking forward to a March thaw!

Haven't posted many restoration or pressing photos in the last year but now I have so many to share I might as well get started while the temperatures and snowfall continue to give me cabin fever.

I have been doing a fair combination of True Restoration and Pressing jobs.  Both are very satisfactory particularly when I delight a collector who has been searching for a key book for many years and I can bring it back to life and preserve it for the future.  I appreciate the "old school" collector that wants to still hold the book, turn the pages and read it whether for his own personal pleasure or to share it with his children.

Pressing has its own merits and accolades for the trendy comic book investment marketplace.  This past fall I was able to take a key Golden Age book from an 8.0 to a 9.4!  It looked so good I was afraid that CGC would think it was a digitally enhanced cover.

For detailed information about The Restoration Lab click on:

SERVICES at the top of the heading of the site.   

Enjoy the transformational pictures and I hope to see you out there at the shows! I'll be milling around enjoying the crowd and maybe one day wear that Wonder Woman (my restoration namesake) costume myself!

Susan Cicconi

Owner of The Restoration Lab

617 974-1125 

 

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The Restoration Lab celebrates its 25^th year of restoring and more importantly, preserving, vintage American comic books.  I, Susan Cicconi, have built a solid reputation as the nation’s premier comic book restorer while maintaining the highest ethics and standards possible. I want to take this time to thank the many customers who have trusted me with their comics over these last 25 years.

Over the last 10 years, the industry has seen significant changes.  I have cherished the opportunity to work on torn and tattered Golden and Silver Age books and, in most cases literally bringing them back to life.  Today, in some cases, those same tattered, taped and torn books with rusted staples and fragile pages are worth more as unrestored books than if they were preserved and conserved.  Unfortunately without correct preservation, these books are going to cease to exist in the not too distant future. This is a sad state ofaffairs for the comic book loving community and future generations.  I can only hope that within the next 10 years, the marketplace will change and more professionally restored books will be valued at prices worthy of their historical significance and preserved state.  Fortunately for me, I still have collectors who are interested in restoring their comics so that they can continue to hold them in their hands and pass them on to their kids.

Today, with a better understanding of the comic book marketplace, I am ready to embark toward a more hands-on appropriate pressing service.  Due to the current economic situation, I am compelled to ethically participate for the greater good of the comic book community.  Since I have been cleaning and pressing books for years as part of my true restoration services, I have acquired a keen knowledge as to how this procedure should be done in order to retain the book’s original, pristine state.

I have diligently studied the criteria for CGC pertaining to their submission qualifications and labeling.  I am aware of the various pitfalls along with significant monetary benefits to the customer for choosing this service.  It needs to be stated and understood that cleaning and pressing, like restoration, is not an exact science. Drawing on my vast years of experience, my expertise in this area is second to none.  Intricately weaving a multitude of factors such as types of books, covers, colors, textures, heat, pressure and humidification can either have a desirable or deleterious effect on a comic book.

For the above reasons, I plan to be very selective which comic book candidates merit my service. All the methods and techniques I use are safe and are within the guidelines of paper conservation.  Our goal is to individually treat each comic book presented as if it were our own personal and treasured possession. For prices and details click Informational Pages at the top of this page and find the link Just Cleaning and Pressing.

Susan Cicconi

The Restoration Lab

 

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