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| Keeping Watch by April M Rimpo |
Keeping Watch
Watercolor
14" X 18" image
Mounted on 2" Deep Cradle Wood Panel
$600
There is no better sign of Spring than a duck with her ducklings. This mom is trying to keep track of her 5 ducklings, but one keeps moving slightly out of view. There is always one independent one.
I had this painting framed under glass, which is the traditional approach to framing watercolors. The glass protects the watercolor from the environment and the UV protection in the glass also reducing the effect of light on paints. As you know for the last year I have been gallery wrapping my watercolor and fluid acrylic paintings, then varnishing them with a UV protection varnish. This allows them to be displayed without frame and glass. This particular painting didn't have enough paper beyond the edge of the image to allow me to gallery wrap, so I needed a different answer.
An art friend has been using Cheap Joe's Prime Cradle Painting Panels to mount her watercolor paintings. These panels come in two depths (3/4" and 2"). I opted to use the 2" Extra Deep version. I asked her for a summary of the process for mounting, watched a couple videos online to see the process in action, and decided to give it a try. I experimented on a very small painting first which came out beautifully, then decided to transition Keeping Watch. It really came out beautifully.
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| Profile of the 2" Deep Cradle |
At right is an image showing the side of the extra deep cradle. They come in a light blond color artist grade Tung wood. When I was researching the mounting process I also found some artists stained the wood, which I chose to do. So what you seen in this image is a Pecan color stain that I chose. After staining I waxed the panel with furniture wax and buffered it to provide a protective surface to the wood.
And here's what William Shakespeare has to say about Spring
O, how this spring of love resembleth the uncertain glory of an April day! The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act I, sc. 3
In the sprint time, the only pretty ring time, when birds do sing... sweet lovers love the spring. As You Like It, Act V, sc. 3
