40x40 Monet Pro Super Frame Kit 1.5" Deep #MSK-4040

No Finger Joints!

Solid Wood is far superior to finger jointed wood, which is many small pieces glued together, each with varying grain densities that absorb and shed moisture at varying rates, expanding and contracting non-uniformly as environmental conditions change, and causing the wood to bow and the finger joints to eventually fail.

A single homogeneous kiln-dried solid wood Stretcher Bar outperforms and outlasts a finger jointed Bar whose sole purpose is to save the manufacturer cost, not contribute to the archival value of artwork intended to last a millennium. 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.

Monet™ Pro Super Frame Kit Super Frame Kit Components

• Drawing demonstrates how the frame looks unassembled and assembled
• Monet™ Pro Super Frame Kit Super Frame Kits are sold as square frame sizes only
• To assemble a rectangular size, just buy the two Stretcher Bar sizes you want, mix-and-match the components, and you'll have two frames in the size you want, or mix-and-match the components to make other frame sizes you may want
• Four 40" Precision machined medium duty keyable tongue-and-groove Stretcher Bars
• Two Super Cross Braces included: 3-1/4" wide by 3/4" thick
• Cross braces may be removed and reinserted at any time, before and after stretching
• An exclusive slot is milled on the inside perimeter of all of the Stretcher Bars to which the Braces and the expansion wedges attach
• Patented keyable cross braces allow the frame to be tensioned in the middle of the canvas, where the tension needed the most
• Cross Braces firmly attached with a steel tee-nut and screw at the intersection point for maximum support and rigidity
• Included are 8 Corner Keys and 8 Cross Brace Keys to be able to increase the tension in the middle of the canvas, where the tension is needed the most.

Mix and Match components to make any size frame

This Super Frame Kit is sold only in square sizes, as it ships more safely. To make any size rectangle frame, just buy two kits that have the Stretcher Bar sizes you want, mix-and-match the components, and you'll end-up with two frames in the ultimate size you want.

For example, this 40x40 frame kit that you've chosen includes all the Bars, Braces, Keys, and hardware necessary to build one full square frame. Let's assume that you really want to build a 10x40 size, which happens to be a 4:1 Super Panorama aspect ratio size.

Simply buy a 10x10 and a 40x40 Frame Kit, and you'll have enough Bars and Braces to make two 10x40 frames. Or mix-and-match the components to make other frame sizes you may want in the future. The size you choose is in your control to build the finest museum class Stretcher Frame on the market.

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 Purify the Air

Our forests purify the air by filtering nearly 40% of the fossil fuel emissions humans create, and are critical to reducing global warming. More trees are needed on this planet, not fewer, for our own healthy human survival. Therefore, we use lumber grown in responsibly managed forests, so future generations can benefit from our responsible actions today.

Canvas Size Needed for this Stretcher Bar

Most artists prefer to stretch and staple the canvas on 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 this frame as a square 40x40 size, your canvas should be about 46 x 46. This allows you ample room to stretch and attach the canvas on the back. 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.

One finishes paintings, or rather paintings finish themselves. ♦ Nicolas de Staël

Nicolas de Staël's introspection into the act of creation resonates with a truth many of us have felt. It's an intimate acknowledgment that art, in many ways, is a living entity, taking on a life and will of its own. While we artists pour our emotions, experiences, and technical skills into our work, there often comes a moment when the piece starts to dictate its own direction, leading us rather than being led.

De Staël, whose career was distinguished by his exploration of abstraction and representation, frequently found himself at this intersection of intention and surrender. Through his varied styles and approaches, one can sense moments where he might have felt the painting was guiding him, evolving in ways he hadn't initially planned. We, too, know this dance well. Our initial vision might set the stage, but as layers build and forms emerge, the art begins to communicate, suggesting a hue here or a stroke there, sometimes demanding a bold change we hadn't foreseen.

The beauty of this dynamic is that it mirrors life itself. Just as we might plan and strategize, life often presents us with unexpected twists, forcing us to adapt and grow. Similarly, in our art, the unforeseen evolutions in a piece challenge our flexibility, our skills, and our ability to listen. It's a delicate balance of control and release, of knowing when to steer and when to let go. And in that dance, masterpieces are born.

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We offer you these words of wisdom and our take on the message in hope to inspire your art. We also pay tribute by creating this unique portrait of Nicolas de Staël. Go paint!

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.