By Peter Sorkin
“I've always been happiest when my hands are dirty,” Porter said from her sixth-floor loft at 10-10 44th Ave. in Long Island City. “I've been an artist my whole life. It just seemed like a logical progression applying my particular talents.”
Porter and her assistant, Lisa DiClerico, have been working together at S. Porter Restoration and Conservation for almost a year. Porter, who has practiced her particular profession for 11 years, specializes in Chinoiserie and painted surfaces but also works restoring vases, glass tables, ceramic antiques, woodwork and armoires.
Crowded into her two-room studio at her location on the East River overlooking the Manhattan skyline are grandfather clocks, oriental paneling, desks, and a wide array of exotic paints and finishing tools.
Porter, who has been working at her current location since September, said she moved out of Manhattan because of skyrocketing rental rates. She said the landlord who owned the loft where she worked in Manhattan tripled the amount she had to pay each month.
Porter said she enjoys the painstaking work because she takes pride in what she does and enjoys catering to the client's wishes.
“There are a lot of restorers who sometimes do a real hatchet job,” she said. “But we use traditional materials only.”
Some of the oldest works Porter has restored include a Nepalese statue from the 4th century and a 17th century grandfather clock whose finish had been buried under layers of paint.
DiClerico said she feels fortunate to work with someone like Porter because of her dedication to the craft.
“She really is the best in the city at what she does,” said DiClerico as she worked adjusting the hinges on a 19th century oriental panel divider. “I like the style and the really beautiful aesthetic.”
DiClerico, who just recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, apprenticed as Porter's assistant before being hired full time almost a year ago.
“She really has so much to teach me,” said DiClerico who graduated from FIT's restoration program in 1999. “But we really hit it off personally and professionally. She's very conservative and has tremendous respect for the subjects. It's really excellent working with her.”
Porter said she may want to create her own works sometime in the future but for the time being will concentrate on antiques. She said there are many customers to attend to and many works that have yet to be restored.
“The business thing is enough to keep me crazy for a while,” she said with a laugh. “It's very tedious, time-consuming work, but it's very gratifying. You can learn lot about art and history.”
For more information on S. Porter Restoration and Conservation in Long Island City, call the office at 937-8545.
