Unstretchable brittle Claessens Canvas

[Michele Rushworth]

I use Claessens oil primed 13 double-primed linen and I love it. A post by Garth Herrick last year suggested a stretching method to eliminate the ripples along the edges that has worked well for me.

I'll see if I can summarize it. I stretched up a big canvas yesterday and it worked fine.

1. Staple the middle of each side, as you normally would, pulling tightly.

2. Here's the important part: go to the corners of the short sides and put a temporary staple in at the end of each short stretcher bar, also pulling tightly.

3. Then staple the remainder of the canvas as you normally would, putting one or two staples in moving from the center of each side towards the corners, working opposite sides while pulling tightly.

I used to have lots of rippling, especially in the center of the long sides. Not a problem any more! (Thanks again, Garth!)

[Mark Lovett]

Thanks for your suggestions. The ripples I am getting are very faint and at each side stapple. I forgot to mention that I gallery wrapped them to compound matters. I am aware and have tried Garth's technique. Thanks. I would love to see Garth stretch this old stiff canvas. It's tough. I have sprayed the back with water but it doesnt help. I wish I had some other canvas to work with.

[Linda Brandon]

Mark, I hear you and sympathize. Try spraying with water and then ironing the back of the linen. Stretch while it's still warm. (The ironing process might leave residue on your iron so prepare to clean it afterwards. I have an iron cleaning paste in a tube that I use.)

I have no idea whether this is archievally sound practice.

[Richard Bingham]

Warm is good. As paint dries it becomes more brittle, that includes oil primers; warming will encourage plasticity. Encouraging a bit of "shrink" by moistening is also OK . Another "trick" that may prove useful is to put alum in the water, 1 tbsp in a pint.

Archivally speaking, you're at the "mercy" of the materials and methods the mfgr. employed in making the canvas. None of these coping techniques will either harm a painting support or affect your application of paint on it.