15 Inch Classic A1 Single Stretcher Bar 3/4" Deep #A1-15

Classic™ 3/4" Deep Bar • 1/16" Canvas Clearance

This Stretcher Bar is the standard in the industry for Stretched Canvases and works with standard picture frames. It provides 1/16" Canvas Clearance on both sides, you can stretch either side of the Bar.

• Produces a 3/4" deep stretched canvas (Actual depth is 11/16")
• 1-5/8" wide Stretcher Bar
• Precision machined corners
• Solid Ponderosa Pine or Fir from the Pacific Northwest
• The ends are mirror images of each other, so they naturally fit together; no other parts are needed
• Corner Keys may be purchased separately to expand the frame, only if needed to increase the tension after the canvas has been stretched

Solid Wood is Archival - Finger Jointed Wood is Not

We only use Solid Wood to build our Stretcher Bars because a solid piece of wood will last indefinitely. When we speak of archival value, it's not just the paint you use and the quality of your canvas and ground, even the wood choices manufacturers make are part of the archival process.

The principal reason manufactures use finger jointed wood is reduce cost, not increase archival value. Wood constantly grows and shrinks when the environment becomes hotter, or colder, or more humid, or more dry. Because finger jointed wood is made-up of multiple and varied pieces of wood, with varying grain patterns and densities, they each absorb and shed moisture at varying rates, which works on the glue joints that hold them together, causing the wood to bow and the joints to eventually fail, and certainly not consistent with increasing the archival value of your artwork frame support.

As a manufacturer, we do our part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality made product that will out-perform any other in the marketplace.

Sustainability Fights Against Climate-Change

Sustainable forestry practices are an important tool in the fight against climate change. By using lumber from sustainably managed forests in our products, we can help to reduce the carbon footprint of our business and support the health of the planet. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Canvas Size Needed for this Stretcher Bar

Most artists will stretch the canvas and attach the staples or tacks onto the back side of the frame. Doing so allows you to paint on the edge and hang your art without needed a picture frame. Generally speaking, you should allow 4 Inches of canvas beyond the size of your frame.

For example, if you were to stretch a 9x15 frame size, which happens to be a 5:3 Near Golden Mean aspect ratio size, your canvas should be about 13 x 19. This allows you ample room to stretch and attach the canvas on the back. Should you ever need to remove the canvas from the frame and re-attach it, it still serves that purpose too. Should you want to attach the canvas from the edge of the stretcher frame, then you can reduce the size of your canvas about 3/4" all the way around the frame.

From the heart of California, Masterpiece® has been weaving a legacy since 1965, curating the best Stretcher Bars North America has witnessed. Our unwavering dedication to quality and innovation has cast us in the limelight as the trendsetting stalwarts in the realm of fine-art canvases. The patents we hold are not just certificates but validations of our pursuit of perfection. Engage with our creations and feel the promise of unmatched quality, a promise that resonates with your clients and every future beholder of your masterpiece.

Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. ♦ Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau, the contemplative naturalist and philosopher, spent a good portion of his life along the shores of Walden Pond. For him, nature was more than just a backdrop; it was a canvas upon which life's most profound questions were painted. When he likened time to a stream, it wasn't merely a fleeting poetic thought. It was an observation of life's ephemerality. Just as water in a stream never stays still, moments pass and are replaced by new ones, continuously flowing.

For artists, we too often find ourselves 'fishing' in the stream of time. Not for fish, but for inspiration, for that elusive idea, for the perfect expression of our innermost thoughts and feelings. It's an endeavor that requires patience and persistence. Yet, just as Thoreau found solace and understanding by the water, we find clarity and purpose in our art. As time moves, so do we, adapting and evolving our techniques, styles, and visions. And even if we sometimes return with an empty 'fishing basket', there's knowledge in the process, an understanding that eludes many.

Thoreau's reflection reminds us that time, while ceaseless and unyielding, also offers endless opportunities. Each moment is a chance to cast our line into the waters of creativity, to dive deep into the current of our imagination. So, fellow artists, let's not lament the swift passage of time. Instead, let's embrace it, learn from it, and remember that every second is a new opportunity to create something timeless.

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We offer you these words of wisdom and our take on the message in hope to inspire your art. We also pay tribute by creating this unique portrait of Henry David Thoreau. Go paint!