How I Display Paper Artwork on Panels (Part 1)

I used to prepare artwork on watercolor paper for display by framing it under glass with a decorative mat. I really don’t like to deal with glass much though… The sharp edges, the potential for breakage, the scratches and smudges. So, I got creative and started experimenting with mounting my artwork on wood panels. I really like my artwork displayed this way. To me it’s a bit more modern a look than a mat, frame & glass... purely a personal preference. I’m sharing how I do it and this is the first video.
I typically use a 7/8” deep birch cradle panel for small artwork (12” or less) and I use 1 1/2” deep birch cradled panel for larger artwork. I love the flexibility because the side edges can be left natural or can be painted black or a complementary color from the artwork. Work mounted on a cradled panel can be displayed with or without a frame. I tend to go with a floater frame.
In this video, I have trimmed the artwork to about an eighth of an inch larger than the cradled panel. I then use gel medium and a wet foam brush to liberally coat the back of the artwork and the front of the cradled panel. After that, I firmly adhere the paper with a brayer then flip the artwork face down, add weight to the back of the panel, and let it sit and dry for 24 hours.