55 Inch Elite B2 Single Stretcher Bar 1-1/2" Deep #B2-55

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.

Sustainably Managed Forests

We use lumber grown in the sustainable forests of the Oregon, Washington, and California, where there’s more standing timber today than last century! Our forests purify the air, provide oxygen, and reduce global warming. More trees are needed on this planet, not fewer. Therefore, we use lumber grown in responsibly managed forests, so future generations can benefit from our collective responsible actions today.

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 55x65 frame size, which happens to be a 13:11 Almost Square aspect ratio size, your canvas should be about 61 x 71. 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

Our life is made by the death of others. ♦ Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, a polymath of unparalleled ingenuity, was not only a masterful painter but also a scientist, engineer, and philosopher. His insatiable curiosity often led him to meditate on the cyclical nature of life and the interconnectedness of all things. This profound observation speaks to the transience of existence and the interdependence of living beings.

This concept bears additional layers of meaning. The fading of old artistic movements gives rise to new ones, the legacy of past artists inspires and informs the current, and each piece of art we create is built upon a myriad of experiences, influences, and teachings from those who came before us. In essence, our artistic growth, our very expression, is shaped by the 'deaths' — whether they be literal, metaphorical, or artistic — that precede and surround us. As we embrace this cyclical nature, we gain a deeper appreciation for every moment and every influence, understanding that our creations today will, in turn, nurture and inspire the artists of tomorrow.

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We hope to inspire your art with this wonderful quote and our interpretation along with our own one-of-a-kind portrait of Leonardo da Vinci..got to love it!