Pastel is a dry medium in a stick form, consisting of powdered pigments held together with a minimal amount of a binder (usually gum tragacanth). Pigments used in making pastels are the same pigments that are ground for use in making oil and watercolor paints. Painting with pastels is as close as one can get to painting with pure pigment.
Used in the 18th century for painting royal portraiture, the soft pastel medium traces its roots back to prehistoric cave paintings. In and out of style in the last four centuries, pastels are now enjoying a modern-day resurgence of popularity, due to their intense colors, permanence and “immediate” handling.
Pastels are a permanent medium when properly created and protected. Pastels should be created on an archival surface free of acid, and framed under glass, preferably with a spacer between the glass and the surface of the painting. As the pigments are the same as those used in oil paintings, you should expect the same level of resistance to fading.
Amy Sanders' pastels are created and framed for maximum protection and permanence on an acid-free and/or archival surface. The pastels used are the finest in light-fastness currently available on the market. She frames with an acid-free backing and museum glass.
