Pastel Paintings Care, Matting, and Framing

The pastel medium is a pure pigment. In my paintings, pastel is applied to high quality ph neutral or acid free papers. Some of history’s most noted painters used pastels with lasting results. Pastels created more than 200 years ago, that have received proper care, are as fresh and bright as the day they were painted. Pastel paintings and their color brilliance are very resilient over time, as long as the surface is protected. In order to prevent damage, the surface of a pastel painting should never be touched and should be protected from water. Displaying the painting framed under glass with archival matting materials provides the protection necessary. Hanging of this and all your valuable paintings and photographs should be in a place that avoids direct sunlight, extreme heat, or high humidity.

For shipping, your painting is mounted on board and covered with a slick glassine interleaving to prevent damage to the surface. This is then sandwiched between two stiff foam boards and wrapped in protective paper. The exterior cardboard box is filled with the painting package and cushioning packing material. Your painting is insured for its full value. Please notify UPS immediately if the package is damaged. To prevent damage to the painting be careful when unwrapping.

One of the reasons pastel paintings are so beautiful is the quality of the pure color particles and how these catch and refract light. Because the use of heavy layers of fixative destroy this refractive quality, I don’t use them in the final stage of painting. For this reason, in the process of moving or shipping a painting you may find a small amount of pastel particles become dislodged from the surface of the painting. This is typical and in no way affects the quality of the painting.

The following are my suggestions for matting, framing and glazing your pastel painting:

First, It is strongly suggested you work with a professional framer.
When ready to frame, the acid free adhesive tape attached to the painting and mount board for shipping may be safely removed by applying a small amount of heat or cutting the tape.
It is suggested you mount and mat your painting with rag mat museum board (100% acid free). Using acid free boards is more expensive but worth it, because it does not yellow and will prevent acidic damage found over time with other boards. For framing, I use an acid free foam core board as a mounting board, and a single window mat. Mat color and frame choices are quite personal. Your professional framer can assist in a choice.
A 4 inch mat on larger paintings is recommended and a 2.5 to 3 inch minimum mat on smaller paintings. I also add an acid free foam core spacer to the underside of the beveled mat. This unseen spacer lifts the mat off the painting and allows any pastel dust to fall behind the mat. In some cases, particularly when the support has a deckle (rough) edge such as in my mixed media paintings, I prefer to mount the painting without a mat, and then use a plastic spacer between the glass and the painting. The air space is important because the painting should never touch the glass.
Single strength glass is recommended for framing, however, should you encounter unacceptable levels of glare where the painting is hung, anti-reflective glass can be substituted. I suggest Crystalview or Image Perfect. Plexiglas is not suggested for use with pastel paintings. When cleaning the glass after framing, it is suggested a damp cloth be used with a light touch.
Framing is dependent on your aesthetic choice and interior design of your home. I generally use a flat faced gallery style wood frame, because these show the paintings well in a gallery setting. However, many other types of wood and metal frames are also quite lovely when used on a pastel painting, and come in a variety of profiles from the simplest to very ornate. One concern in choice of frame is that rabbet depth can accommodate the glass, boards, and spacers. A rabbet depth of about three quarters of an inch is required.
Rubber bumpers on the back of the frame allow air circulation, help keep the painting level once hung, and prevent marring of your walls.

Should you have any additional questions about the pastel medium, and/or the proper care of your painting, please do not hesitate to contact me. My hope is you will enjoy your pastel painting for many years.