Prepping the Panels

​Phew! So once deciding to jump on board for painting a new painting everyday for the month of September, I turned my attention to developing my surfaces. After much though I decided to go with maple panels. Even though they are a bit pricey due to their high quality, as compared to other artist boards, they came in the perfect sizes and even had a little key hole hanging system already built in. This charming element allows the finished work to be hung directly against the wall, either with or without a frame.  Once I saw them I knew they were perfect for this project.

Even though I have only 30 days to paint, my type-A nature steered me to go ahead and prep 40 painting surfaces. The extra number gives me the flexibility to edit, and make the best dimension selection when adding a new painting to the series. Of course this means prepping 10 extra panels, but the peace of mind is worth the work.

The panels come as raw (gorgeous) wood that must be sealed and then primed with oil ground. For the wood sealer I chose GAC 100, a clear Gamblin product that protects the wood while letting the grain show through. Since I was planning on leaving the back as untouched as possible, this clear protection was a great solution. I applied two coats of GAC 100, sanding the area with a fine grit paper before each layer. Following these protective coats I applied two layers of oil ground. This is the most luscious, buttery surface ground, and I absolutely love working with Gamblin’s Oil Ground. It’s like buttah! The ground sets up your painting for success right from the beginning. Goodie gumdrops!