Air Travel With Oil Pastels
By Ann Tucker
With heightened airport security, airlines are much more restrictive on products they allow on planes. I have heard that some oil paint artists had oil paints confiscated.
Since I had a trip planned that I wanted to bring my oil pastels on, I was curious whether air travel with oil pastels would also be affected. So I went to the experts, oil pastel artists who have traveled with their oil pastels. After reading many positive responses from members, I took a some OPs with me on my trip. I am happy to report that I too had a positive experience.
Our members have gone through a lot of airports around the world. Read about some of their experiences yourself.
Member Vatcharaporn (Ead) Mangkonkarn (Thailand) found little problems with oil pastels and air travel.
I had OPs travelled in my luggage twice.
First time, I bought about 20 pcs of them in Singapore, wrapped and put them in a firm paper box, loaded in the luggage. No problem at both Singapore and Bangkok airport.
Second time, I bought 2 big boxes of Caran d'ache from Geneva, Switzerland, they were packed in the middle of my luggage without any problem at any airports (Geneva, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok) and they were all in good shape when I arrived home.
Member Raquel Tripp (USA) put her oil pastels in her checked baggage and no problems with Security in Jacksonville Florida, Miami International or Quito-Ecuador, Galapagos.
I took them with me when I went to Galapagos in 2004. I wanted to make some sketches during the land excursions, which are very short. The oil pastels helped me work quickly and were easy to transport, set up, clean up and presented no danger to the fragile environment of the islands.
Member Wendy Manning (Canada) had this to say:
I took my oil pastels to
Cuba
in a Tupperware-type container. At Cuban customs they were puzzled by them,
opened the container upside down (!) and then quickly lost interest when I
pointed to myself and said "Artista". They were in my carry-on, and went through
Canadian
airport security without incident.
Member Tom Mammen (USA) has done a lot of traveling with very little incidence.
I have travelled all over the world (actually the North American Continent, Europe and Asia) numerous times over the past 20 years and have been asked only once to open my hand baggage and my 48 colour Grumbacher set that serve as my traveling kit.
I always carry my oil pastels wherever I go and I have been through all the major Airports in the US -Philadelphia, D.C, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, San Juan, Virgin Gorda, Toronto, Quebec City, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Madrid, Prague (somebody stole my oil pastels in Prague!), Cairo, Aswan, Bombay, New Delhi, Madras and several other Indian cities without any problems.
Two months ago, I went to
Egypt and flew through Paris
to Cairo
without a problem. It is possible that along with the pastel pad and other
things in the bag the pastels themselves were not casting an Xray image - all
that mattered was that I didn’t have to mess with the paints during baggage
check!
Camille laPointe-Lyons. Resident Artist/Materials Specialist for US distributor of Sennelier, Savoir Faire seemed to agree with him. She responded to my inquiry about material safety and flammability with the following:
Hi Ann, you should have
received a brochure with your oil pastels which
offer this information. I am enclosing some information that should answer
your questions. As for traveling, pack your oil pastels securely in the
suitcase that you are checking in. If you are not checking in any luggage,
wrap the enclosed information with your pastels along with your other art
materials.
I have never had a problem traveling with any art materials.
“Editor’s Note- The information she enclosed can be found at the bottom of
this article.”
A friend of member Pat Isaac (USA) went through Boston, Rome, and Florence airports last year. She put her OPs in the checked in luggage and had no problem with security anywhere.
Member Shelley Schoenherr (USA) is more concerned about temperature changes when traveling.
I travel with my oil pastels fairly regularly... BUT, I normally do NOT take them on a plane as carryon. I pack them in cotton or soft packaging so they don't get jostled and broken as they are unceremoniously thrown like a shot put, into the cold underbelly of the planes I have traveled on recently. I have wondered if the chill of the baggage compartments could do a number on the consistency of some of my really soft and valuable Sennelier sticks. If any problems occurred in flight, in checked luggage, I have not been aware of them.
Shelley also talked about
something I hadn’t thought of, temperature changes in a car.
She had no problems with temperature in an airplane.
HOWEVER, the same is not the case when I travel with them from the frozen tundra of Michigan to the heat of tropical Florida Keys by enclosed AUTOMOBILE!!!! I am worried about them in the heat of the car if I leave them in the parked car for any length of time. I carry them out of the car like a puppy or baby and because of it, my husband thinks I am NUTS!!!!!!!!! The heat inside a parked car while traveling with oil pastels of ANY quality, will melt them and change their shape to start with. Who KNOWS what strange little molecular changes they experience and metamorphoses they go thru when that heat gets to them.
SO, BOTTOM LINE, when traveling with them in my CAR, I am very careful. And have, AT THE LEAST, experienced changes in their shapes when the heat of the afternoon hits the auto they are stored in .... It does not take a rocket scientist to know we should take them out of a hot car while traveling. But a reminder about temperature changes and oil pastels could be of value in your article. It is something I have always been concerned bout as I travel.
Another member Carly Clements (USA) also mentions car travel.
I've only traveled with my oilies locally so I can't give any tips on air travel, but one thing I did for traveling out to the island. I took a cardboard box and used some old foam trays out of a soft pastel box to cushion all my oilies. Made for a very light load in my backpack.
Here is the information from Savoir-Faire:
SENNELIER
OIL PASTELS
HISTORY
In 1947 Pablo Picasso approached Henri Sennelier to create a completely new medium especially for him that had qualities of oil paint and soft pastel in an easy to apply stick form. Picasso told Henri “I want a colored pastel that I can paint on anything, wood, paper, canvas, metal, etc. without having to prepare or prime the surface”. Picasso at this time enjoyed painting spontaneously on anything, and was known to trade restaurant meals for drawings on tables, place mats etc. Two years later, in 1949 Henri Sennelier invented the very first oil pastels. The SENNELIER oil pastels provided him with a medium that he could paint on any surface easily without any technical or archival constraints. The unusually wide ranges of grays in the oil pastel palette were chosen specifically by Picasso.
CHARACTERISTICS
Not made of mineral wax, or paraffin, but of a microcrystalline wax that is composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen, derived from a petroleum base. Its fine crystalline composition gives the pastels the ability to hold the oil in the pastels exceptionally well, as well as giving them good flexibility and suppleness. SENNELIER’s extensive research in wax compounds has come up with a wax composition that provides:
¨ Superior structural stability
¨ Harmonious molecular pigment dispersion
¨ Retention of a higher percentage of pigment than other waxes
¨ Maximum adhesion to the support
¨ Excellent adhesion between applied layers
¨ Techniques such as gum turpentine or mineral spirits
BINDER
Made of non-drying chemically inert oils. The inert nature of the oil makes them non-yellowing and provides for excellent adhesion characteristics. The exact chemical composition of the oil used is a secret proprietary formula of SENNELIER.
PIGMENTS
SENNELIER Oil Pastels use the same high quality pigments found in SENNELIER paints and soft pastels. The pigments are ground 2 or 3 times to give them the smoothest possible handling characteristics. SENNELIER Oil Pastels contain the highest quantity of pigment of any brand, attaining levels of up to 70% pigment total weight. All colors are made with 100% lightfast pigments.
ATTRIBUTES
SENNELIER Oil Pastels are completely acid free. They never dry and thus will never crack. The reason for this is that the oil pastels contain no oxidants. This guarantees the preservation of the color intensity of the pigments without yellowing or cracking, and prevents the deterioration of the surface or support.
USAGE
Apply SENNELIER Oil Pastels to any surface without the necessity of protecting the surface with primers. SENNELIER Oil Pastels can be applied to any paper, rigid support or fabric support without technical restraints, allowing the artist complete freedom of expression while maintaining archival stability. When drawing is complete surface may be protected with SENNELIER Oil Pastel Fixative.
SIZES
120 lightfast colors available in regular and new “Le Grand” size, with perforated label for easier usage.
Savoir-Faire IMPORTERS OF FINE MATERIALS FOR THE ARTS, 40 LEVERONI COURT, NOVATO, CA • TEL 415-884-8090 • FAX 415-884-8091 • Savoir Faire-Link • info@savoir-faire.com
Thank you to all who responded with their experiences. Also, the beautiful images you see on this page were all taken from members’ gallery pages. If you haven’t already, spend some time exploring the many member gallery pages. There is wonderful work to be seen!