68" Monet Pro Stretcher 2-Bars 1-CrossBrace Kit 1-1/2" Deep #MK-68

Explore Other Monet™ Pro Bar and Brace Kit Sizes

10" • 11" • 12" • 13" • 14" • 15" • 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" • 69" • 70" • 71" • 72"

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.

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.

Sustainably Managed Forests Coexist with Mankind

We use lumber grown in the sustainable forests of the Pacific Northwest, where there’s more standing timber today than last century! There will always be a demand for wood pulp and fiber, but striking a harmonious balance with human coexistence is the essential strategy to which we subscribe. Sustainably managed forests increase our health and abundance of our forests which can be in harmony with this precious natural resource.

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 68x78 frame size, which happens to be a custom proportion, your canvas should be about 74 x 84. 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

The language of art is celestial in origin and can only be understood by the chosen. ♦ El Greco

El Greco, a master of both the Mannerist and Renaissance eras, has often been seen as a figure who defied the conventions of his time. With his elongated figures and ethereal color palettes, he carved out a niche that felt otherworldly, and this quote perfectly encapsulates the essence of his artistic philosophy. Art, in his perspective, is not just a mere reflection of the tangible world but a window into the celestial, the divine. It's a language that often bypasses the intellect and speaks directly to the soul. And while it may sound elitist to say that only the chosen can comprehend it, what El Greco perhaps alludes to is not exclusivity, but a particular sensitivity to artistic process.

Throughout history, artists have often felt like outsiders, viewing the world through a lens tinted with wonder, curiosity, and at times, a deep sense of solitude. It's this unique vantage point that allows us to decipher the divine whispers that might elude others. As we immerse ourselves in our artistic craft, there's a celestial symphony that resonates with our very being, guiding our hands and hearts. El Greco had a profound connection to the celestial and urges us to cherish it, nurture it, and let it guide our very creativity. In doing so, we are not just creating art, but translating the secrets of the cosmos in our own compositions.

---

We curated this insightful quote by El Greco, and our interpretation thereof; plus we made this portrait in the spirit of creativity. Time to create your own expression!

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.