Panel Painting

I have been mounting my photographs to cradled wood panels as a way of displaying them without glass, so I had some extra panels around. I thought it would be interesting to see how it would feel to use modeling paste on a panel and then make an abstract painting. Modeling paste is a compound reminiscent of drywall plaster in its consistency, but is archival and dries quite hard.

So after painting the sides of the panel black, I applied modeling paste to give the surface a texture, since my idea for the painting was inspired by the ocean (must be that time I spent on the Oregon Coast :) The texture reminded me of waves. After letting the paste dry for two days, the painting began. Here is what the final piece looks like on the 22x30 inch wood panel.

Oceanic © Howard Grill

Overall, I didn’t feel like there was a tremendous difference between painting on the wood vs. canvas, but obviously, the wood gives the final piece a much sturdier feel.

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