Updates, Thoughts, and Inconsequential Ramblings of this Particular Artist.

The process of building stretchers and stretching canvas is equally important to me as making the final painting. For me its all about the process of working from start to finish. I find that not only is it meditative but as the stretched canvas develops towards completion, I also develop towards a readiness to paint. There is a joy I get from building the structure that I am going to eventually make into a painting. I believe this gives me a deeper connection to the final product and as an artist, that my work and myself are intertwined. It is my hope that when paintings are viewed that there is an understanding that a lot more work goes into making a painting than just applying paint.  Canvas day. One roll of canvas 60"x 6 yards, a gallon of gesso and a gallon of medium. I sand all the sharp edges off the stretcher to prevent the wood from cutting into the fabric.  After measuring and cutting the canvas for each stretcher I then lay the stretcher face down...

For any one who may be curious, I build my own stretchers, the support frame on which the canvas wraps around. I started with two 2'x4's which I cut into smaller lengths for ease of handling. In this case 54"and 42"ultimately to get four 48" pieces and four 36" pieces.  Below they have been ripped into the eight pieces 1"1/2 x 1"1/2 with one side at a 10 degree angle. This angle is to prevent the canvas from hitting the inner edge of the stretcher later on.  Finally all the corners have been mitered glued and nailed along with corner braces. I do need to make a correction in terms at this point. While I have referred to theses as stretchers they are in-fact strainers, meaning the miters are permanent. All that remains is a little sanding and they are ready for the canvas when FedEx delivers tomorrow. Ill try to remember to document the canvas stretching process and post that as well. When all is said and done Ill have two 36"x48...