42 Inch Vincent Pro Stretcher Bar Cross Brace Kit 7/8" Deep #VK-42

5/16" Canvas Clearance provides an optimal distance from the Bar

It's vitally important to have enough space between the Stretcher Bar and the canvas so when you press on the canvas it does not touch the wood underneath, which can create unsightly lines on your 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.

Vincent Pro 7/8" Deep Stretcher Bar Kit

• Photo displays how the frame will look once you assemble two kits
• Precision machined medium duty keyable tongue-and-groove Stretcher Bars
• A 1/2" thick keyable cross brace is included with each kit
• Cross braces may be removed and reinserted at any time
• 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 hardware at the intersection point for maximum support and rigidity

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 Vincent™ 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.

Sustainable Environment Promotes a Sustainable Economy

The use of lumber from sustainably managed forests is not only environmentally responsible, it also helps to support the economy and preserve jobs in the forestry industry. By choosing products made with sustainably sourced lumber, consumers can help to ensure that these industries remain strong and sustainable for years to come.

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 4 Inches of canvas beyond the size of your frame.

For example, if you were to stretch a 14x42 frame size, which happens to be a 3:1 Panorama aspect ratio size, your canvas should be about 4 x 46. 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.

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.

It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory. ♦ Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas, a mastermind of Impressionism, had a keen ability to capture the ephemeral moments of life, from the delicate posture of a ballerina to the hushed ambiance of a Parisian cafe. His words emphasize the value of not just artistic replication, but the importance of internalizing and reimaging what we've witnessed. While many can reproduce what is directly in front of them, it's the melding of memory and imagination that births originality.

As artists, we often stand before our canvas with brushes poised, contemplating how best to convey the world around us. The sheer act of painting from memory ignites a dance between the vivid recollections of past experiences and the whims of our imagination. This dance is what Degas championed. In navigating this interplay, we're given a gift—the gift to reinterpret and give voice to memories in ways that a mere imitation cannot achieve.

In the art we create, the blend of remembrance and creativity adds layers of depth and emotion. It becomes a personal journal, capturing not just the world as it was, but as we felt and imagined it. This synergy, a collaboration between what was seen and what was felt, produces artworks that resonate on a profound level. And therein lies the essence of our craft: to go beyond mere depiction and dive into the transformative realms of memory and imagination.

---

Creativity is the heart of what we both do. So we've curated this empowering quote and some background. And, in our own act of creation, we provide this unique portrayal we made of Edgar Degas.

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.