19 Inch Elite B2 Single Stretcher Bar 1-1/2" Deep #B2-19

Elite™ Professional 1.5" Deep B2 Bar • 1/2" Canvas Clearance

A Canvas Clearance of 1/2" is the space between the Bar and the canvas. Generally speaking, more clearance reduces the risk of the canvas touching the wood and creating unsightly lines during painting. Our design provides the optimal clearance so as not to impact your painting, but still leaving enough wood to the maximize strength of the Stretcher Bar.

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.

What is Sustainable Forestry?

To a forester, the term "sustainable" could mean exercising industry adopted forestry practices to maintain a forest indefinitely. To a logger, the process of proper care for the trees remaining after a harvest. To a landowner, their interest may lie in keeping their forest in the family. And to those of involved in the process of making and using wood-based art supplies, it can mean promoting and supporting an industry dedicated to the preservation of our precious natural resource. We can all do our part to care for our national forests.

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 6 Inches of canvas beyond the size of your frame.

For example, if you were to stretch a 19x30 frame size, which happens to be a custom proportion, your canvas should be about 25 x 36. 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.

Masterpiece® is a family-owned business operating in California since 1965 and producing the finest Stretcher Bars in North America. We deliver the highest quality and highest performing products in the business. We are widely recognized as the nation's leader and trendsetter of professional quality fine-art canvas. We own several patents that make our products perform superior to any other on the market. Once you touch one of our products, you'll immediately recognize our impeccable quality—and more importantly, so will your clients and those who acquire your art

I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart. ♦ Vincent van Gogh

Van Gogh, with his legacy of turbulent emotions, unrelenting passion, and vivid canvases, was a man characterized by his ceaseless quest for authenticity. From his early years as a preacher to the later periods drenched in color and emotion in Arles, his life was a relentless pursuit of expression, meaning, and identity. This fervor wasn't just confined to his art; it permeated every aspect of his existence, shaping his relationships, dictating his moves, and ultimately, defining his tragic end.

We can recognize the same burning desire to communicate, to unearth new layers of ourselves, and to present it to the world, hoping for connection, understanding, or even just a simple acknowledgment. Van Gogh's confession isn't unique to him alone; it's a sentiment that resonates with all of us who have chosen this path. The intense need to create, to explore, and to make sense of the cacophony of feelings and thoughts can be both exhilarating and overwhelming.

In this declaration from Van Gogh, we're reminded of the dual nature of our chosen field - the joys and sorrows, the highs and lows, the triumphs and defeats. Yet, through it all, it's the passion, the unwavering commitment, and the absolute immersion in our craft that fuels us, pushing boundaries and transcending limitations. In the end, like Van Gogh, we are all in it with all our heart.

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Art is visual and ripe with meaning, so enjoy this quote and our interpretation of its meaning, plus an one-of-a-kind portrait we created of Vincent van Gogh to make it all the more relevant. Pick up that brush and go!