The paper
I'm drawn to Japanese papers for their beauty, especially chiyogami yuzen. Each sheet is silk-screened by hand, one color at a time, with pigments rather than dyes, so the color holds. But I don't limit myself to one kind of paper or material. I also use handmade papers from Thailand and Nepal, maps and atlas pages, and papers I paint myself with lightfast acrylics.
The finish
Each paper is set in archival acrylic medium, sealed with an isolation coat, and protected with a UV-resistant varnish. I finish each piece with cold wax, polished by hand to a soft luster.
The pastels
Soft pastel is mostly pure pigment with very little binder. I use artist-grade pastels from Sennelier, Jack Richeson, Rembrandt and NuPastel, mostly on UART 400 sanded paper, which holds many layers of color.
Pastels come matted in an archival sleeve, ready for a standard frame.
Care
Collages. No glass to clean. Hang away from direct sun and heat, and dust with a soft, dry brush.
Pastels. Frame under UV-filtering glass, not acrylic. Hang away from direct sun.
