Some of you may remember, last year at IAPS, I was walking around with a sample of a pastel that I had sprayed with a new-to-me spray, which would allow me to frame without glass. I had a small painting of some Prickly Pear “Tunas” (their seed pods) which I kept in the pocket of my WHITE slacks most of the weekend, to prove that it could not be smeared! Alas, I never got a “before” photo of it, but here it is today, after a LOT of abuse, wrinkles and all, but the pastel is good as new!
I have been playing with this spray for almost a year now, and am constantly being asked “What do you think?” So here is what I have learned, as clearly as possible.
Yes, it DOES deliver! However, it takes a lot of practice and experimentation, by each artist, to learn how it will work on YOUR paintings. Spectrafix’s website has some videos, but actually doing it oneself is a MUST.
This is what it looks like. The fist pump spray delivers a very fine, even mist.
In the rare event that it throws a larger droplet of fixative onto your work, DON’T PANIC! Let it dry completely without touching it, and it will disappear, or at least so I have found.
I think of it as a tool, rather than a “cure-all”. I have learned that it works best if I decide I will use it on a painting BEFORE I paint. This way, I can apply my pastel in the best way to receive the FinalFix with little or no adverse effect.
Light colors are most affected. The spray will dissolve the top layer, which lets the next layer(s) show. You must expect to lose that top layer, so, during your painting process, you make sure the lightest areas are thicker application of pastel. One way to minimize this is to spray the first coat from a greater distance, say 12”, and allow that to dry before more spraying.
Below are two images of a test painting. The full size is with the entire left side sprayed. You can barely see the line right down the middle of the painting. The close-up shot shows how the spray affects the colors: The darks of the palm clumps are a more intense color. The lighter colors of the sky and clouds are just a tad darker. Your results will vary from painting to painting, but this is generally how it works for me.
I almost always need to reapply my lightest lights, maybe a couple of times, layering between subsequent applications of spray. You must KNOW that your final painting may not be exactly like it looked before spraying, so plan for that. The darks may be darker, or even a bit more luminous. Some colors will appear brighter. Every brand reacts slightly differently. I am including a chart I made of 7 brands’ light pastel’s swatches, showing the left side sprayed, the right side “raw”.
The onion painting, @6” x 8” on white Pastelmat, entirely done with Terry Ludwigs up to the first spraying, then with some Blue Earth touch-ups after, before the final spray. I have captioned them too.
One caution: I would never use this product on any of my portraits, or other paintings that relied on subtle color layering.
Framing without glass is not for everyone, of course. A lot of us want to be sure our pastel paintings have glass to keep “accidents” from happening. This spray has not been around long enough to know how it will be affected over time, but for now, the paintings I have hanging, both at home and in galleries, without glass, are still in perfect shape. I have even lightly dusted them with a feather duster!
Below are several finished works, all thoroughly sprayed with FinalFix, and in frames, no glass. All were accepted into a wonderful Tucson gallery last year. They were delighted to have pastels displayed without glass (even Museum glass!)
I hope this answers most of your questions. As I said, it is essential that each artist tests this for her/him-self.
Barbara Archer-Baldwin, MC-IAPS, PSA, PSWC, APAA
Barbara Archer-Baldwin Fine Arts Pastels