15" Monet Pro Stretcher 2-Bars 1-CrossBrace Kit 1-1/2" Deep #MK-15

Explore Other Monet™ Pro Bar and Brace Kit Sizes

10" • 11" • 12" • 13" • 14" • 16" • 17" • 18" • 19" • 20" • 21" • 22" • 23" • 24" • 25" • 26" • 27" • 28" • 29" • 30" • 31" • 32" • 33" • 34" • 35" • 36" • 37" • 38" • 39" • 40" • 41" • 42" • 43" • 44" • 45" • 46" • 47" • 48" • 49" • 50" • 51" • 52" • 53" • 54" • 55" • 56" • 57" • 58" • 59" • 60" • 61" • 62" • 63" • 64" • 65" • 66" • 67" • 68" • 69" • 70" • 71" • 72"

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.

Canvas Tension is in Your Control

In dry climates or air conditioned environments, the lack of moisture in the air causes wood frames to shrink and the canvas fibers to narrow and elongate making the canvas more slack and resulting in a loss of canvas tension. In some instances, the canvas could have waves on the surface resulting in an unsightly viewing experience.

Our Monet™ Pro professional frames provide the functionality for you to slightly expand the size of the frame in the corners and the middle of the canvas, thereby increasing canvas tension all across the surface. The difference between a loose canvas and a tight canvas is just 1/8" of an inch, so a small adjustment using our corner and brace keys makes an important difference in canvas tension.

• Helps to prevent waves that occur in a loose canvas
• Increase canvas tension by tapping-in the corner and brace keys
• True professional class canvases make it possible for you to adjust the canvas tension

Cross Braces Make it Tighter

A tightly stretched canvas on an un-braced frame overpowers the Stretcher Bars causing them to bow inward and thereby lose tension. Sometimes that bow can expose a space in picture frames.

When a canvas is stretched on a properly supported frame, the cross-braces prevent the Bars from bowing thereby achieving maximum canvas tension. To increase the canvas tension even more, simply tap the corner and brace keys further in their slots. Properly supported frames provide you with the control over the canvas tension of your canvas and painting.

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 9x15 frame size, which happens to be a 5:3 Near Golden Mean aspect ratio size, your canvas should be about 15 x 21. 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.

With deep family ties and a legacy spanning since 1965 in California, Masterpiece® has been the epitome of unmatched quality in Stretcher Bars across North America. Our commitment to pioneering excellence has crowned us as the forerunners in the world of professional fine-art canvases. Bolstered by our patented innovations, our products exude a caliber that's in a league of its own. One touch, and the unparalleled quality becomes palpable, leaving an indelible impression on your clients and all future admirers of your art.

I regard as symbolist everything that raises our soul to activity. ♦ Robert Delaunay

In the vast and intricate tapestry of art history, Robert Delaunay occupies a space known for its vivacious use of color and geometric abstraction. However, his views on symbolism offer a profound understanding of what art can be. By considering anything that stirs the soul to activity as symbolist, Delaunay prompts us to look beyond traditional definitions and to recognize the transformative power of art.

We, in our art careers, are constantly in search of symbols, be it through brush strokes, hues, or forms, that elicit profound emotional responses. Whether it's the nostalgia evoked by a particular shade of blue or the anxiety captured in a jagged line, it's the symbolic value of these elements that reach out and touch our souls. What Delaunay understood, and what many of us have come to realize, is that symbolism isn't restricted to overt images or motifs. Instead, it's present in every choice we make as artists, in every emotion we aim to convey, and in every reaction we hope to invoke.

Art, in its purest form, is a conduit between the soul of the artist and the soul of the observer. Every artwork, every color, every shape holds the potential to awaken something deep within us. Delaunay's perspective serves as a reminder that our pursuit should not be merely to create but to inspire, to move, and to resonate with the deepest parts of our collective soul.

---

We've handpicked this empowering quote and offer insightful context to inspire your art. We've even created this unique portrait of Robert Delaunay to provide a personal touch to your browsing experience. Now start on your painting!