I'm pleased to report that "Hollow Places" survived the mummification process with it's bright whites intact. The matte medium will make weave structures recede if you use the brush like a brayer and stroke the fibers in one direction. Here, that technique has enhanced the mottled colors of the hand dyed pieces. I've posted this one for sale. I've written to the folks at Golden about the UV protection aspect (or not) qualities of their matte medium and when they get back to me, I'll post their response.
"Firefly" also came out as I hoped for. This time, I only used the medium around the edges of the piece - wherever the black with gold spotted Japanese print is. This piece has a lot of wispy textured elements that I didn't want to obscure or change, so this one is a hybrid of sorts. "Firefly" is the last piece I worked with my cat Jinx and I'm keeping it for myself as a memorial to her.
I really appreciate all the interest and input you've given me regarding this technique and these recent pieces. It makes me feel like I'm NOT talking to myself when I talk about these things.