45x74 Elite Professional 1.5" Deep B2 Stretcher Frame Kit

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.

• Super strong Elite™ B2™ Stretcher Bar is 50% stronger than most others in its class
• For this 45x74 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

Sustainability in our Forests and our Communities

At Masterpiece®, we believe in responsible and sustainable business practices. That's why we only use lumber from sustainably managed forests in our products. By doing so, we can help to protect our planet's forests, reduce our environmental impact, and support the communities that depend on these valuable resources.

Specially Dried and Heat Treated Lumber

We source our wood from a select group of top-tier environmentally conscious lumber mills in the Pacific Northwest. These mills specially dry and heat-treat the lumber to our specifications, resulting in about half the moisture content compared to wood from typical home improvement centers or lumber yards. This process makes the wood stronger, reducing the likelihood of cracking, splitting, or warping. While the wood we use comes at a higher cost, it ensures a more dimensionally stable end product. This stability is crucial for crafting fine professional canvases that support your invaluable art over time.

51x80 is the Canvas Size Needed for this 45x74 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.

Rooted in California and flourishing since 1965, Masterpiece® takes pride in its family-led legacy of crafting North America's premier Stretcher Bars. Our quest for excellence isn't just a goal but a commitment, positioning us as the trailblazers in the domain of fine-art canvas. Our innovative patents have set new benchmarks, ensuring our offerings stand unmatched. Dive into the tactile experience of our products, and you'll instantly recognize the distinct Masterpiece® quality, a signature appreciated by both your clientele and future art connoisseurs.

I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. ♦ Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer, while celebrated primarily as a painter, engraver, and printmaker of the Northern Renaissance, had an undeniable depth to his persona. His deep connection to the arts wasn't limited to the visual; it encompassed an expansive emotional and sensory landscape, as evidenced by his profound bond with music. Music, for many, isn't just an art form; it's a language, a lens through which the world is experienced, and for Dürer, it was evidently a vital companion in his creative explorations.

What Dürer highlights here is a sentiment many artists can relate to: the way another art form can influence and shape our primary craft. For artists, we may find our inspiration in dance, literature, or as Dürer did, in music. Such cross-pollination of art forms allows us to view our own work from a fresh perspective, enhancing its depth and richness. It reminds us that art is not siloed but interconnected, and when we open ourselves up to these connections, our work can transcend the boundaries of its medium, resonating with a wider audience.

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Draw inspiration from the words of wisdom by Albrecht Dürer, plus our interpretation of its meaning, along with our own rendered portrait of Albrecht Dürer. Now get busy on your own canvas!