Horse Portrait

Hey Mary, sorry for the slow response, I'm really busy at the moment and just sat down this evening to do some online messages. I find I spray a lot less now as I've managed to decrease the amount of pastel I need to apply to get the effect I want. Also I blend lower layers well and spray a little allowing for them to darken ever so slightly. My top layers are applied with more force and seem to hold well enough without having to spray. If I loose anything it will be off this top layer, and yes it does shed sometimes if dropped or knocked but on the whole they are quite good. I transport my work all around and can do so without any damage or loose dust. I, like Lesley Harrison also frame against the glass. I also have customers frame their commissions with a double mount and spacers. This works well too. I also like a double frame effect with the glass between the 2 frames. i.e. not touching the painting itself. Again, I think these all work well and all produce a different effect. I love the look of it framed directly on the glass and tend to use it for any piece above 20" or so. I find these ones travel the best as the pastel gets held in place by the glass. As for shipping them framed, it's something I haven't done. I'm not quite at the point where I'm posting exhibition work around the world and all commissioned work so far gets posted unframed. I hope that's helpful. I find there is no 'right' way to work with velour as we all use it differently and I suppose we have to try and choose the framing method that best suits our style.

I just package it really well usually sandwiched between thick sheets of cardboard and maybe a thin sheet of mdf or some thin lightweight wood. Usually whatever I have, as long as it can't bend it's fine. I put thin sheet of tracing paper over the painting itself but you can use whatever you have to hand. Sometimes I use pieces of mount board or offcuts. Everything gets put to use. I have posted work up to about 20"x16" this way and it was fine.