How to Unpack, Protect, and Frame your Pastel Painting

What you need to know about your pastel painting:

1. My paintings are created using soft (chalk) pastels.  They are applied to a high quality archival sanded paper. 

2. While the sanded paper helps to hold onto the small pigment particles that make up your painting, some may be loose due to the amount of layering that is involved in one of my paintings. Because of this, anything that touches the surface of the painting can create friction, and can therefore pick up some of those pigments off the paper.

In order to prevent damage, the surface of the painting must never be touched. 

It should also remain away from moisture of any kind. 

I create a custom shipper for each and every portrait to ensure that the painting does not get damaged on its way to you!  When you receive your portrait, you will notice that it is shipped in a sort-of sandwich-like package.  There is an outer layer of stiff cardboard to protect the package from getting punctured. Inside of that, there are two layers of white foam core board.  These boards prevent the package from getting bent, and protect the portrait from the weight of having anything stacked on top of it. In the center of the shipping ‘sandwich’ there are tiny strips of board framing the portrait.  These great a gap between the foam core board and the surface of your portrait, so that the two do not touch. Lastly, taped on top of your portrait is a sheet of clear glassine paper.  This paper keeps the powder pigments where they need to be on the portrait as it gets bumped around.  This sheet prevents any friction, should the outer layers of the package give in during shipping.

How to unpack your painting:

Use a razor or scissor blade to slice through the center of the packing tape around the edge of your package. Cut carefully, all the way around, to separate the top and bottom halves of the package. Be careful not to pierce the packaging beyond the tape - there is a very small gap between the packing tape and the edge of your portrait.(Note: there is one piece of masking tape holding the inner package together on each of the 4 sides of the package. )

Once the packing tape is cut, pull the two halves of the shipper apart. (If it doesn’t want to open right away, be sure that those small strips of masking tape were cut as well.) Inside you will find your painting mounted to the inside of one half of the package, covered by a sheet of clear paper to protect it. (see diagram below)

Carefully remove the sheet of glassine by removing the strips of masking tape that hold it in place.  There should be 2-3 of these. You should be left with your painting, taped by the 4 corners of the piece of foam core board.

Avoiding touching the surface of the painting, carefully peel off the tape that holds your painting in place. There is typically a small edge around your painting where there is no pastel - it is safe to pick up your painting in these areas.

I would strongly recommend to keep your packing materials, as the surface will need to be protected until it is framed.

How to frame/display your painting:

I highly recommend working with a professional framer to help to properly preserve and display your portrait. Framers will be able to recommend frames and mats the compliment the painting, as well as the right materials to help preserve it.

The painting should be displayed in a frame with a mat and glass. The glass is necessary to simply protect the surface.  The mat is necessary, not just for display, but also to create a gap between the surface of your painting and the glass in the frame.  Remember that nothing should touch the surface of the painting!