24 Inch Elite B2 Stretcher Bar 1-1/2" Deep #B2-24

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.

Our Ecosystem Depends on Healthy Forests

Forests play a vital role in our planet's ecosystem. They absorb carbon dioxide, filter air and water, and provide habitat for countless species of plants and animals. By using sustainably sourced lumber, we can help to protect these important ecosystems and ensure that they continue to provide these valuable services for generations to come.

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 24x96 frame size, which happens to be a 4:1 Super Panorama aspect ratio size, your canvas should be about 6 x 30. 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

All the painting of the world cannot countervail one bad line. ♦ John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent, a master of portrait painting, held a keen understanding of the delicate balance between meticulous technique and the freedom of expression. His assertion emphasizes the importance of precision and intentionality in art. Every line, every brushstroke, has its place, and the smallest misstep can disrupt the harmony of a piece.

It reminds us, as artists, that the details matter profoundly. While grand gestures and broad strokes can convey powerful emotions, it's often the nuanced lines and subtle touches that define our work's true essence. Such attention to detail is what distinguishes a piece from being merely good to truly exceptional. Sargent's statement, however, is not just about the technical aspect of art; it's also about authenticity. A single insincere line or forced element in our work can overshadow our genuine expressions. Therefore, while we pour our hearts and souls into our creations, it's crucial to ensure that every element, down to the finest line, aligns with our vision and truth.

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Echoing the timeless spirit of artistry, we bring you this quote paired with our beautiful portrait of John Singer Sargent that we created. Let your colors on the canvas speak!

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

One of our most celebrated products helps make your canvas tighter! Assembling Stretcher Bars and Stretching your own canvas can present some challenges. While your canvas may seem tightly stretched, the tension may vary from staple to staple creating lines of tension across the canvas in a grid like pattern. The trick is to maintain balanced tension across the canvas.

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Re-Tensioner is a great way to redistribute the tension in a canvas across that grid-like pattern of tension as well as increase the tension on the entire canvas. While you can can add tension by keying-out the corners of the frame, it may produce an hour-glass effect by expanding the frame in the corners, and not the center.

With Tight'n'Up™, you can add tension to just a small area, or a large area. Simply spray it lightly on the back and brush it into the canvas, and within seconds, your canvas becomes tighter and stays tighter. The more you use, the tighter it gets. Recommended for acrylic primed cotton or linen canvas. We do not recommend it for oil primed canvas because there are simply too many different types of oil primed canvas, but used conservatively at your own risk, it will tension any canvas.