This is a plein-air painting from eastern Montana around Cow Creek Reservoir. A place that my husband and I like to go to in the spring once a year. This piece is titled 1 out of 14 because of the one white-faced cow out of 14 others. I related to this as I always feel like an odd duck in the crowd. This piece is matted in a gem green mat cut 2 inches larger than the painting, a perfect square 14 and 1/8 " per side—a white beveled edge.

Framing tips for your pastel painting

Your pastel painting will arrive with a cut archival mat on a mat board. If the picture is not shaped to fit standard-sized mats and frames, it will be custom fit with a 2" bordered beveled mat. The painting will be mounted on the mat board with archival framing tape of some kind, depending on what would work best with that painting and its substrate. It should be easy if you want to separate the picture from its mat setup for custom framing. A piece of glassine paper will be placed over the painting for safe storage and handling; I recommend not removing the glassine until just before framing; let your framer do it.

If you are framing yourself, open the front mat like a book to reveal the painting with the glassine. Carefully pull the glassine up, not allowing it to brush the picture, and pull away from the artwork to remove it. Close the mat and frame.

Pastel paintings are delicate to handle and smudge easily. So avoid touching and frame behind glass. Pastel works are tender to the touch but are some of the most brilliantly colored and longest-lasting of any medium. Colors are less susceptible to fading and discoloring as well. Pastel paintings can be framed without a mat, but there should be a spacer placed to keep the artwork from touching the glass; a professional framer will have a solution to this.

A mat is a terrific barrier separating the work from the glass. If you choose to replace the mat provided, please use it as a reference. I build a trough in the mat to catch pastel dust over time by placing matboard strips on the mat's inside. This trough should be replicated, or a simple way is to reverse the bevel of the mat by flipping over to the opposite side. Again a professional framer should understand this. There are a lot of youtube videos on framing pastels for reference.

It's advised that original art not be located where it will receive direct sunlight. It's your painting. Just know it may show damage over time and lose value. With the right care, your pastel should pass through many generations. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about your artwork.

Artist Amanda Bielby
1.406.542.8800
[email protected]