This piece is a Christmas surprise to be painted to the edge. I worked on it right before Christmas and knew it would definitely be wet when it was shipped. So the canvas had to be prepared in a special way. First the title, personalization, my signature and our control number are put on the back of the canvas. The white block is made with two coats of acrylic. This keeps the Sharpie marker from bleeding through the canvas. I mark a tiny arrow on the top edge of the stretcher bar. This way I’ll know which way is up so the image on the front of the canvas will be the same orientation as the back. Then three screw eyes are put in the stretcher bars as shown.
The screw eye is not put in all the way. It needs to protrude enough to extend through the backing cardboard.
The double ply cardboard is made 22″ x 26″, larger than the canvas which is 20″ x 24″. The canvas is then centered on the backing cardboard and pressed down. The screw eyes leave indentations and an ice pick is used to make a hole all the way through. Then the canvas is placed back on the cardboard and the screw eyes pushed through the holes.
Nails are pushed through the screw eyes and secured with 2″ painters tape. This allows me to handle the wet piece by the cardboard that extends beyond the canvas. After the piece is finished I’ll show you how we pack it up for FEDEX! Tomorrow I’ll be starting to paint using a different technique. Come watch! Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
December 26, 2011 at 2:12 PM |
Hi Mikki:
This is a great system. Thanks. BTW what do you use on the back of the canvas for writing. Is it Gesso?
December 26, 2011 at 10:03 PM |
MIKKI!
How neat! You tell Jack that less than an hour ago I was reading in one of his books about this technique and I could not picture it for the life of me (you should have seen what I imagined lol). And I do my daily stop by your blog and LO and behold (Hallelujah chorus) you have pictures! Ask and you shall receive!
Kelly