The “Bones” can make or break your painting .. ensure it is done right.

I recently completed a loft artwork painting commission for a client of mine in Texas, USA.

They have a beautiful home decorated in a palette of neutral tones which provides a peaceful and serene living space.

I worked with the client to determine tone, size, visual impact desired. We agreed on a plan to complete a 4 ft x 8 ft loft artwork painting that would enhance and serenely fit into the space keeping the overall feel of tranquility as the primary desire.

I would paint the piece in my Toronto studio and have the canvas shipped rolled verses shipped  stretched on a frame. The cost of shipping rolled is about a quarter of the cost of shipping stretched on a frame and my client had a reputable stretcher/framer at their  end in Texas. It seemed like a win win.

The loft artwork painting was completed, rolled, shipped, delivered, unpacked… stretched, delivered to my clients home and hung in their beautiful home.

Colour hue, tone, and overall feel were great. However the piece itself appeared to hang suspiciously incorrectly. My client noted that the painting appeared  slightly warped. If you look closely at the above picture you can see the warping is particularly visible on the mid to lower  left side of the painting.

I asked my client to take the painting down, take  a picture of the the back and send it to me asap.

As I suspected the framer had not provided sufficient “bones” and the canvas was winning the tension battle.

The  structural support of any canvas plays an important role. This is particularly important when dealing with larger paintings and when the canvas is 48 inches and beyond it is critical to ensure top notch frame work.

For the last five hundred years or so in Europe and elsewhere, canvases have been stretched over wooden frames for painting. This technique became a popular alternative to wooden panels as it allowed artists to create large transportable paintings with a minimum of preparation time and expense.

The stretcher is, in fact, a complex construction which must be well made and finely “tuned” to meet the requirements of a flexible canvas. A necessity in a high quality stretcher is  to ensure adequate cross bracing. Without this warping and twisting of the frame under tension will occur.

Other issues of poorly made stretchers may exhibit; insufficient or no beveling on the front face , no key slots and type of wood to name just  a few.

In my clients  case the issue was inadequate cross bars. A  basic standard is at 48 in a cross bar is required , and of course cross bars can be used prior to 48 inches.

I have  discovered a Canadian company that specializes in framing and stretching. Should you have further interest to learn more check them out at  www.uppercanadastretchers.com

My client returned to the framer, they re-stretched the canvas ensuring adequate structure. The end result is an original loft artwork painting that is professionally stretched and will provide many, many years of enjoyment for the my client and their family.

After having the painting re stretched, my client decided to hang the painting in the softly lit foyer at the front door. The painting looks wonderful there and provides a graceful warm welcome to this homes’ guest.

As to the original living room area, a  slightly larger piece is bring considered.

Visit www.loftartwork.com to see more large scale paintings that might enhance your space, and keep in mind that the “bones ” of your painting can make or break your painting both visually and in terms of the life your investment.