Sierra Art Panels: Creative Designs
Sierra Art Panels are built one at a time in my shop, with the same care I bring to my own paintings. I’ve spent years refining how they’re made—combining traditional woodworking with carefully chosen materials, including modern composites like carbon fiber and fiberglass when it actually improves performance.
I offer standard cradled panels, slim plein-air panels, and custom builds. All of them are designed to be lightweight, stable, and resistant to warping, while still keeping the character of real wood. They’re strong enough to protect the artwork through shipping, storage, and display—so the painting lasts as it should.
Every panel I make is intentional. Because the surface matters.
Slim Profile Laminated Panel Construction
Slim profile panels are a solid laminated core rather than a cradle. Each panel is constructed by laminating two 1/8-inch sheets of hardwood plywood into a unified 6-ply structure. This creates a dense, stable panel with exceptional strength and stiffness relative to its thickness. By bonding the layers into a single composite, the panel resists flexing and movement while maintaining a clean, minimal profile. The result is a lightweight, rigid panel that stays flat and true over time—ideal for smaller works up to 20 × 24 inches where a cradle is unnecessary but structural integrity still matters.
Hybrid Cradle + Internal Truss Construction
Sierra Art Panels are handcrafted one by one in my studio, in the California foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Each panel is a collaboration between engineering, tradition, and a painter’s instinct. I build my cradled panels using a hybrid cradle and internal truss system. Each panel has a traditional perimeter cradle, but inside I add an internal cross-braced structure that distributes stress across the entire surface. This allows the cradle to be slimmer and lighter while improving stiffness and resistance to warping over time. The result is a thinner-profile panel that stays flat, feels solid, and holds up beautifully—especially in larger sizes.
Canvas & Priming
Sierra Art Panels are finished with high-quality, pre-primed canvases, including both oil-primed linen and acrylic-primed canvas. These surfaces are carefully chosen to provide optimal tooth, texture, and absorption for the oils applied, ensuring every brushstroke is captured with clarity and permanence..
Hand Crafted, Slim profile. Light weight. Greater stability.
