How do I take care of my pastel painting?
• Do not touch the surface of a pastel painting. It can be easily smudged or smeared.
• Do not hang your pastel, or any artwork for that matter, in direct sunlight. Even if the work was created with archival materials sunlight will cause fading over time.
• Keep the work away from moisture. Do not store it in a moist humid place. Moisture can damage the work and encourage mold growth on some types of art.
• All of my paintings come with a sheet of glassine as a protective covering. Leave it in place until you are ready to frame it.
How do I frame my pastel?
• Professional framing is strongly recommended.
• Get a frame deep enough to hold the glazing (glass) a mat board if you are matting the painting, spacers, the work, and a backing board. Frames made for oil paintings usually work. I use frames with a 1/2 inch rabbet.
• Use a thin spacer between the mat board (or glass if you're not matting) and the art. These can be thin strips of acid free foam core taped, mat-board or small spacers made for pastel framing (all of which can be taped/attached to the back of the mat or glass). This will ensure that any dust fallout which may occur will fall onto the spacer and not the visible mat.
• Use UV blocking museum quality glass or glare free glass if possible.
• NEVER use acrylic sheets or plexiglass for your pastels. These can create an electrical charge that will pull tiny dust particles from the surface of your pastel and cause them to stick to the acrylic or plexiglass causing a dirty haze.
• Always use a dust cover on the back of the framed art. This is usually a piece of brown butcher paper cut to the size of the frame and taped tightly to the back to seal out unwanted dust and insects from getting into the frame.
How do you send your pastel paintings?
• I send each painting sandwiched between two pieces of foam core board, with a sheet of glassine on top of the work to protect it. All paintings come with a certificate of authenticity and a copy of the above framing tips. I use artist quality archival materials.
• Properly framed pastels are as permanent as oil or any other medium and excellent examples from the 1600's are as fresh as the day they were painted.
• If you have any other questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me.
