Mat, Fixative Or...

I currently don't frame my work with a mat or fixative.  I frame them directly against the glass.

I used to use mats, but they're a nuisance as far as I am concerned.  Cutting mats is a time-consuming pain.  I have better things to do with my time - like paint!

Despite correctly measuring and doing the math to figure out where to cut, I'd still make mistakes and wind up throwing matboard out.  It took a lot of time that I didn't have, but I couldn't afford to have a framer do it for me, so I cut them myself.  Then there was the added expense of framing with a mat, or a double mat (if I was feeling extravagant).  Mat-board, mat-cutter, blades... more linear inches of frame too, and bigger pieces of glass to cover a larger area.  Sheesh.

Now, with the pastel right against the glass there are fewer expenses: smaller sheets of glass, smaller frames, not having to buy mat-board.  Added bonuses:  They are lighter and easier to carry, and numerous people comment that they thought they were oils.

Plus they are SO much easier to frame this way!  It takes me a fraction of the time to frame them now than it did before.

Other artists have asked me about the pastel dust getting on the glass.  Yes, a tiny amount does get on the glass, HOWEVER, it will never be an issue until you unframe the painting.  And why would you want to do that?  (Well, OK, I do unframe them occasionally if I have to reuse a frame, forget to sign them, forget to photograph them or scan them.  That's how I know there is some dust left on the glass.)  But seriously, it isn't enough to worry about.  Plus the sanded Uart paper really holds onto the pastel.

I really like the way they look, too.  I figure if someone doesn't like they way they are framed, they can have a framer redo the framing for them.