Old West End Houses – Vancouver, by Helen Andersen, pastel on paper, 1967. Image size approx. 17″x12″
I like the bright colours and the composition in this newly matted and framed picture. Pastels can hold up surprisingly well, even under less than favourable storage conditions. Such a delicate medium, but still very fresh looking 46 years later.
One thing I discovered while removing the old matte… the archivists are right. NEVER use masking tape to attach paper artwork to its matte. The adhesive from the tape seeps into the paper and stains go right through. Luckily, on this one, only about a quarter inch all the way around was affected. The new matte hides the discolouration and now it is held in place with acid-free tape on the top edge only.