Then Lile got an old unix machine together (being a unix systems administrator, this was fairly simple) and registered art.net with the Internic. Once the domain was created, with the help of friends, she brought up art.net onto the Internet. Lile started contacting artists about the San Francisco Bay Area who might be interested in showing their works on the Internet and helped them come up on art.net. She visited many cafe''s to see the local artists works and enjoy the coffees. When she saw works she liked, she contacted the artists and offered to help them come up on the Internet and the WWW via art.net. Many artists took the plunge and are now resident artists here at art.net. Artists from around the net started hearing about Art on the Net or would discover the art.net web site via the WWW.

Glazing can be either glass or acrylic. Only glass should be used with any friable media such as unfixed pastels, charcoals, or graphite, never acrylic as it can damage the work by attracting these materials. There are many brands of acrylic glazing to choose from; one with an ultraviolet filter is recommended. The frame and the mat should be deep enough to prevent the artwork from touching the glazing. A stiff backboard behind the mat protects and supports the matted artwork. It is best to use non-acidic boards. A dust seal with paper or tape is also recommended. What damage results from using poor quality mat board? Avoid mat boards containing wood pulp which causes "matburn"--a darkening of the paper under the mat or at the bevel cut of the window mat. This type of stain permanently weakens the paper fibers and is not easily removed or lightened in conservation treatment.

What is the cause of dark spots that sometimes appear on the paper of drawings and paintings? Reddish-brown spots are known as "foxing", caused by mold or the deterioration of the metallic impurities left in the paper from the manufacturing process. Other colors of spots may be one of many types of mold damage. Mold spores are everywhere in the environment, and mold thrives on cellulosic materials, especially in conditions of high humidity (above 65% of relative humidity). Keeping artworks out of high humidity areas like bathrooms or exterior walls, can help reduce the development of such stains. If I have a work of art on paper that appears to not be flat, should I be concerned? Paper is hygroscopic, reacting to changes in climate by expanding when it is humid and contracting when it is dry. A gentle undulation in the paper called "cockling" occurs under these conditions, especially with larger works. This may impair the work aesthetically as well as cause mediums such as gouache to crack or flake as it is unable to expand and contract as the paper itself does.

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