Congratulations on your purchase!
The good news is you have selected a medium of incredible longevity and one that requires the least amount of restoration of all mediums.
I have repaired several artworks over a span of 30 years, all haling from diverse sources, probably close to four hundred pieces. The most common medium presenting for restoration has been oils, followed by acrylics and then watercolours. One artwork in this timeframe has been a pastel artwork.
Pastel is almost pure pigment, perhaps with a small amount of binder, manufactured into a stick format. (The pigment is the exact same as used to manufacture oils, acrylics, and watercolours) Because of this pastel has almost no chance of deteriorating, especially if not hung in sunlight – which no painting should no matter the medium.
Today we have excellent specialty surfaces for soft pastels that will not deteriorate, and so with a great surface as the foundation, and the use of high-quality soft pastels, the resulting artwork will last for generations.
If the pastel painting is unframed, handle with great care as it is a dry medium, that can easily be smudged. Take the unframed artwork to a framer who is well versed in how to frame pastel paintings and have it framed under glass as soon as possible. UV glass is ideal.
If the pastel is already framed, then there are a few pointers to consider:
- Transport the painting by lying it down as flat as possible with the glass facing up. This will ensure no small fragments of loose pastel will fall onto the glass during the duration of the transportation.
- Do not hang in direct sunlight, as condensation can form under the glass, creating a moist environment for probable future concerns.
- Avoid jolting or bumping the frame, to reduce the chance of any loose pastel fragments from coming away from the surface.
- Hang so that there is an airflow around the back of the artwork. This can be achieved by attaching small felt circles (a bump-on) to the bottom of the back of the frame. This will address two concerns- airflow and wall protection.
- Clean the glass with a soft glass cleaning cloth using an ammonia-free glass cleaner (found in supermarkets). Spray the cloth with the cleaner and apply to the glass. Avoid directly spraying the glass cleaner onto the glass.
- Love the artwork and allow its presence to bless you
IF small pastel fragments fall loose from the surface please do not panic. This is perfectly normal for a pastel. The whole painting will not fall away, in fact it will be difficult to see where the small fragments have fallen away from. I have many pastel paintings that have never shed any fragments.
NOTE: I always use acid-free surfaces and artist-quality pastels. I also frame my pastel paintings using acid-free components.