Earth Water Sky IV

As I worked on the panels I was thinking about framing methods. It looked as if each one was going to be more than 85" H, matted. How to make the framed pieces light enough to transport?  

They'd have to be under Plexiglas, but we'd need to deal with the static generated when paper comes into contact (or even near) the plastic.  

Susan Fader of Ditto put me in touch with another artist making large pastels, Michael Ramseur. His paintings of the looming presence of Danvers State Hospital are all the more powerful by their enormous size, some 12' long or more.  Michael was familiar with the issue and suggested multiple layers of Krylon spray.  

Multiple was right!  I probably used up five cans of spray on the three panels.  Unfortunately, spraying a pastel even lightly causes the medium to shrink and harden, a choice I'm always loathe to make with smaller pieces and only resort to if storage or transport require it.

In this case the whole surface darkened a bit and the pastel concentrated in the valleys of the paper's texture; however there was no choice.  

Secretly I was vowing to paint in oil from now on, though the medium of pastel is so luxurious and beautiful I doubt I'll keep that promise...