THE ROAD TO NSS 2013: FINISHING THOSE DARN WALLS

So where were we? Right, we were just trying to get those canvases finished. To support our canvases, we used decking wood cut down and fit into the corners. We choose decking wood because it is already mitered. I think they are about 1.5 feet long. We used wood glue and screws to secure them in place. As you can see, the smaller canvases do not have supports, that is because I was told to only support canvases larger than 3 feet by 4 feet. Mine were 4x4 and 2x4.

Then we were ready to stretch the canvas. I purchased 25 yards of raw canvas online which was way more than we needed but more is definitely better than less. The easiest way to do this is to lay it out on the floor with plenty of room to work. I found this series of videos to be very helpful. If you are seriously considering stretching your own canvas, I would highly recommend her video over using my pictures. You need to make sure that you have enough canvas to staple to the wood on all sides. A staple gun is your best friend here. You may also need a hammer if your wood is stubborn.

Finishing the corners is a little tricky but once you watch the videos, you'll get it. After the canvases were all stretched, it was time to prime. If you are creating art that you would like to stand the test of time, you need to gesso your canvas. If you are using your canvas for something like this, using flat wall paint will do and save you some money. I did the first coat with half paint, half water. The second coat was all paint. And the third coat was the color we wanted them to be. You'll have to stay tuned to see what color we choose.