20x40 Elite Professional 1.5" Deep B2 Stretcher Frame Kit

True 2:1 Domino Proportion - 20x40 Size

20x40 is one of our popular Domino 2:1 sizes.

The 2:1 aspect ratio, that we call the domino proportion, also offers a unique canvas for artists to play with the perception of space and depth within their compositions. The elongated format allows for the inclusion of foreground, middle ground, and background elements, creating a sense of distance and scale that draws the viewer's eye into the artwork. This aspect ratio has been used by artists throughout history, from ancient Egyptian tomb paintings to Renaissance frescoes to contemporary photography. Its versatility and timelessness make it a classic choice for artists seeking to create dynamic and engaging compositions.

Explore other sizes in this same 2:1 aspect ratio:

11x22 • 12x24 • 13x26 • 14x28 • 15x30 • 16x32 • 17x34 • 18x36 • 19x38 • 21x42 • 22x44 • 23x46 • 24x48 • 25x50 • 26x52 • 27x54 • 28x56 • 29x58 • 30x60 • 31x62 • 32x64 • 33x66 • 34x68 • 35x70 • 36x72 • 37x74 • 38x76 • 39x78 • 40x80 • 41x82 • 42x84 • 43x86 • 44x88 • 45x90 • 46x92 • 47x94 • 48x96 • 49x98 • 50x100 • 51x102 • 52x104 • 53x106 • 54x108 • 55x110 • 56x112 • 57x114 • 58x116 • 59x118 • 60x120

• Super strong Elite™ B2™ Stretcher Bar is 50% stronger than most others in its class
• For this 20x40 large size frame, the frame provides the ultimate foundation for your art with increased strength and stability
• Produces a 1.5" deep stretched canvas
• 2-1/4" wide Stretcher Bars
• All Bars have an exclusive groove on the inside perimeter of the frame to which cross braces and Diamond Corner Braces attach
• Solid Ponderosa Pine or Fir from the Pacific Northwest

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.

Finger Jointed Wood is not meant for Stretcher Bars

Solid wood makes the most dependable Stretcher Bar, because one homogeneous wood member is going to behave similarly across the entire length of the Bar. Whereas, with finger-jointed wood is made-up of multiple pieces of wood, sometimes on the actual joint itself, presenting multiple points of failure which no one can control.

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 add or reduce value to your final painting. The fact is, you don't want problems, and finger joints only increase that risk of the wood falling apart in the future.

The glue used to bind finger joints is a water based adhesive and when that wood is exposed to high humidity environments, particularly with exterior walls, the glue joints can give-up. As a manufacturer, Masterpiece® does its part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality 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 thereÕs 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.

Specially Dried and Heat Treated Lumber

Our wood is handpicked from a curated group of environmentally responsible lumber mills in the Pacific Northwest. By adhering to our precise drying and heat-treatment standards, these mills produce lumber with nearly half the moisture you'd find in common home improvement outlets or lumber yards. This meticulous process not only enhances the wood's strengthÑminimizing risks of cracks, splits, or bendsÑbut also elevates its dimensional stability. Such quality, despite its premium, is paramount in creating professional canvases designed to uphold the sanctity of your cherished art throughout the years.

26x46 is the Canvas Size Needed for this 20x40 Frame

Please note that you will need a canvas that is at least 6 Inches larger than the actual frame size to ensure proper stretching. This will provide ample material to stretch the canvas and attach it to the back of the frame. If you prefer to attach the canvas from the edge of the stretcher frame, you can reduce the size of your canvas by approximately 3/4" all the way around the frame. This will allow you to paint on the edge of the canvas and hang your artwork without needing a separate picture frame. And, if you ever need to remove the canvas from the frame and re-attach it, you'll have enough material to do that too.

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

One of our most appreciated products helps make your canvas tighter! Stretching a canvas tightly can be a challenge. Our Frame Kits include the Corner and Brace Keys that you will need to add tension, but Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Re-Tensioner is a way that you can use to add tension to the canvas without needed to use the keys. It canvas be sprayed on the back of a canvas to repair most canvas tension issues.

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.

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.

I would rather see you reproduce something which you had seen and felt than something you had left unseen and unfelt. ♦ Mary Cassatt

Mary Cassatt's bold stance on authenticity shines brightly in her words. Often hailed as a paragon of Impressionism, she remained consistently attuned to her surroundings, drawing inspiration from the raw, unfiltered emotions and experiences that life presented. Such an approach wasn't just a stylistic choice but a deeply personal commitment to ensuring her art was a genuine reflection of her world.

The importance of portraying genuine experiences cannot be understated. When we share pieces inspired by genuine emotions and observations, our art becomes a conduit for communication, forging deeper connections with our audience. Cassatt challenges us to avoid the superficial, to dig deep and seek out the profound, the intimate, and the real. Because when our creations come from such a place, they not only depict the world as we see it but also as we feel it, creating a profound resonance with those who engage with our work.

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Creativity is the reason you have landed on this page. Enjoy our own portrait rendition of Mary Cassatt and the spoken words and meaning we provide. Now..go paint!