Pastel is an art medium in the form of a round or square stick. It consists of pure powdered pigment and a binder – generally gum arabic or gum trabacanth. Pastels have no chalk component. The pigments (color) used in pastels are the same as those used to produce oil paints, acrylics and watercolor. However, as this medium has the highest pigment concentration of all painting media they allow for very intense saturated colors. When properly protected behind glass, pastel is THE most permanent of all media, for it never cracks, darkens or yellows; on the contrary, a pastel painting will maintain its original brilliance and vibrancy. Pastel is a dry medium and is available in varying degrees of hardness and softness; it is quite distinct from oil pastel, which is an entirely different medium. I use both soft and hard pastel sticks. Soft pastels have a higher portion of pigment and less binder, resulting in brighter, purer and more vibrant colors. Hard pastels have a higher portion of binder and less pigment, producing a sharp drawing material that is useful for fine details, for drawing outlines and adding accents. My favorite brands include Sennelier and Unison. A pastel painting is created by moving the sticks over an abrasive ground, leaving color on the grain of the surface. A pastel support/ground needs to provide a "tooth" (often finely ground pumice or marble dust or vegetable fiber) to which the pastel will adhere, holding the pigment in place. One of the reasons pastel paintings are so beautiful is the quality of the pure color particles and how these catch and reflect light. Because the use of heavy layers of fixative destroy this refractive quality, I choose not to use fixative on my paintings. It can cause the color, texture and overall composition to become dull and darken, thereby diminishing its characteristic light-scattering property. It is therefore important to keep your pastel painting well protected, most effectively done by framing which avoids accidental smudging and abrasions, as well as the settling of dust. My preferred abrasive supports/grounds are Sennelier La Carte, which is a high quality, acid-free, heavyweight paper with a surface of slightly abrasive vegetable fiber; and Kitty Wallis paper, which is also a Museum Grade high quality, acid-free, paper using a 100% cotton base with a surface of white aluminum oxide abrasive. In addition, I have my own “secret recipe” for my frequently used handmade boards. Historically, 19th Century French painter Edgar Degas was a prolific user of pastel. Mary Cassatt first introduced pastel to the USA and became its strongest proponent of her era. Pastels have undergone resurgence in recent years and are now popular in modern art due to the medium's broad range of bright colors, durability and versatility.

Giclée printing is a process that uses fade-resistant, archival inks and archival substrates to print on large format printers. Giclée printing is often used by artists to make reproductions of their original two-dimensional artwork, photographs or computer-generated art for resale while preserving the original. The term Giclée printing is based on the French word "le gicleur" meaning "nozzle", or more specifically "gicler" meaning "to squirt, spurt, or spray". To be truly considered a giclée, a print should: Begin with a high quality digital file, either from professionally scanned film, digital capture or computer created art that has been color worked and profiled for the intended output. Be printed using state-of-the-art inkjet printers which have been calibrated in a closed-loop color management system. Be printed with archival pigmented inks, specifically formulated for the substrate. Be printed on an archival watercolor paper or canvas Be printed by a master printer, who has demonstrated thorough understanding of color theory and imaging software and who has the experience and artistic talent to interpret and replicate your artistic vision. When purchasing it will indicate whether you are purchasing an exclusive limited edition Giclee which will be hand signed and numbered by the artist. A numbered certificate of authenticity and the artists bio is included.

I am happy to accept commissions and will work from good quality photographs or digital images which can be downloaded to the computer in my studio. If you have an image you would like me to consider please feel free to call me at 941-685-9579 or email me at CJ@Corinnejo.com

My prices are determined by the size and complexity of the work. Original work ranges from $125 up to approximately $3,000. Prices will reflect whether the piece is framed or unframed. All work that is professionally framed uses only high quality products including TruVue UV clear glass and acid free mats and backboards

My acrylic abstracts are either painted on canvas or board: the canvases have painted gallery wrapped edges and can be hung with or without a frame; the paintings on board will need to be framed. My pastel paintings can be purchased unframed to suit your requirements. Work on paper can be protected with glassine, rolled, and shipped free of charge in a cardboard tube. For heavier surfaces such as my handmade boards, the work must also be protected with glassine but cannot be rolled. It will be shipped in a flat protective box. You can choose to have your art matted with a backboard. When making arrangements for your painting to be framed, I highly recommend that you use reputable framers who have experience in framing original pastel artwork. it is therefore very important that the painting is protected behind glass and that the framers are familiar with pastel framing techniques to avoid any damage. Strips of fome-cor® (or other museum quality buffer material) are used to raise the mat approximately one eighth of an inch from the surface of the painting so that the mat does not come directly into contact with the pastel surface. Again, a reputable framer will be familiar with this procedure. I always use and recommend using museum quality acid-free mats and acid-free fome-cor® backing and buffers. The width of the mat varies according to the size of the painting and a reputable framer will be able to advise on suitable proportions for the mat and the frame. I also highly recommend UV clear glass to protect the painting from damage by sunlight. I use TruVue AR (Anti-Reflective) Reflection Free® or TruVue Reflection Control® glass on all of my artwork.

I always ship using UPS, who also provide the necessary packaging and insurance.

All of my paintings are signed in the bottom right hand or bottom left hand corner of the painting.