The Color of Light: An Artist's Blog

I recently stepped away from the easel to frame a couple paintings. There are several ways to frame a pastel painting and differing thoughts on the best method. I've done a lot of research on the subject and my conclusion is that framing with or without a mat is a personal preference - whichever way the painting looks best is how I will frame it.

For these two pieces I decided to frame directly against the glass in the passe-partout method. I took an acid-free backing board, museum glass, and sandwiched the painting between the two. Then I use framer's tape to seal all three together to keep out moisture and air. This method has been used successfully for hundreds of years.

Lastly, I popped them into a couple of plein air frames and drove in some points to keep the painting secured in the frame, and voila! I love how they look behind museum glass with these gorgeous frames.