The original pastel artwork has luxurious texture due to the buttery pastel on the thick hand made bark paper. This thick gorgeous paper is the oldest know paper in the western hemisphere and dates back to 75 CE.
Originally called Amate, this paper was used to decorate the outside of huts and is considered a magical and sacred paper, used for many crafted items and images.
I have used Amate paper for my "Contemporary primitive" pastels for over 30 years. I was fortunate to meet and have a great relationship with a maker of the best quality Amate paper, and
The pastels I use are called Unison, each one hand rolled and and formulated with the highest pure pigment in the UK. They are the best pastels I have ever found. You can watch a fascinating video on how they are made in small batches by John Hersey on their website.
The pairing of these pastels on the Amate bark paper is simply perfect for the building up of many layers of texture, resulting in a sumptuous feast for the eyes.
I have included some example photos of what the artwork might look like framed. Typically my pastels are float mounted on Suede Mat in a color that complements the art.
