Transporting a wet canvas

Michele Rushworth · 03-22-2003, 10:44 AM

Does anyone have suggestions on how to transport a 16 x 20" wet canvas on an airplane?

I'm taking an out-of-town workshop in a few weeks and I don't think my work will be completely dry by the time I fly home the next day.

Will Enns · 03-22-2003, 01:40 PM

My wife bought a tile painted in oil last time we were in Mexico. It was smaller, but I think the same idea that artist used might work for you.

He folded cardboard into the shape of a roof over the painting and taped it together at the ridge. This gave lots of handling areas. You could even close off the ends. Double up the cardboard if you must leave it in the hands of the baggage people. If you bring it carry-on, have the cabin staff stow it for you. They will do this for passengers who can really schmooze, a skill I would not be surprised to discover you posess in adequate quantity.

p. s. If anyone feels it is necesary, you may critique this drawing. The medium is cheap ball point pen on yellow sticky note, 2"x2". Digital manipulation is OK. Total honesty is encouraged.

Mari DeRuntz · 03-22-2003, 02:00 PM

Michelle,

Besides the various canvas-clips you can buy for that purpose, here's a tip I learned from Peggy:

The night before you want the canvas to be dry, spray with retouch varnish. It will be nearly or completely dry (depending on several factors) the following morning. Just make sure you're not spraying on completely wet, fresh paint, or the spray "melts" the painting.

You're all going to have such a remarkable time studying with Whitaker. I can't wait to see the post-workshop flurry.

Other than that, bring business cards and hand them out to everyone who inquires about the painting you're carrying on-board. A nearly-dry canvas has to be a great conversation source.

Michele Rushworth · 03-22-2003, 02:22 PM

Will, great drawing, good proportion and terrific sense of three dimensionality. Post this one in the unveiling section.

Mari, do you know of a source for the clips you mentioned that are designed for carrying wet canvases?

Mari DeRuntz · 03-22-2003, 03:01 PM

A couple of varieties are available at Art Supply Warehouse, from $7 - $9. In your catalogs, look for them on the pages near stretcher bars.

Michele Rushworth · 03-22-2003, 08:24 PM

Thanks. I'll check them out.

Chris Saper · 03-24-2003, 12:09 AM

Michele,

The only time I have transported wet paintings, I constructed a 1/4" foam core mat just less than 3/8 inch, and placed the mat between the painting and another piece of foam core, and tightly rubber-banded things together. These paintings were very small on-site studies, and it worked well. If you feel flush, just buy a wooden pochade carrying box.

Elizabeth Schott · 04-02-2003, 09:07 PM

Michele there are some good answers in this workshop thread.

Daniel Greene

I must say, I am still confused. Maybe Linda will love our work and just put it in her gallery!

Michele Rushworth · 05-04-2003, 02:23 PM

I found two solutions, one that I would not recommend and a better one which I will use next time.

Before the Whitaker workshop I bought a "Kinsey wet canvas carrier" from ASW, for about $9. It consists of two separate metal clasps that are meant to go between the two wet canvases and hold them face to face, but about a half inch apart. One clasp is for the top of the canvases and one for the bottom. It holds the canvases quite securely, but it damages almost an inch at the top and bottom of the front of each canvas, where the clips dig into the painting. I won't use this system again.

Here's what I will do next time (thanks to Carl Toboika and Craig Luzum for the idea).

I'll cut four lengths of sturdy mat board, the lengths of the sides of my two canvases and about two inches wide. (For a 16x20 canvas that would be two pieces 16" long and two inches wide, and two pieces which would be 20" long by two inches wide.)

I'll bring a stapler and staple the mat board to the sides of the stretcher bars.

Here's my sloppy, but hopefully sufficient, diagram:

Carl Toboika · 05-14-2003, 07:11 PM

Michele,

For any who don't know, I was in Bill Whitaker's workshop with Michele.

I was overly obsessive compulsive about it, and used thin luan plywood on the short ends (as you have diagrammed), nothing on the long ends. I used 2 small screws per canvas on each end to hold the wet faces apart (wet faces inward towards each other). I then cut two pieces of the thin light luan the same size as the canvas dimensions, and placed it over and under like a box to protect against puncture. I held this portion together with duct tape.

Even though my luggage was damaged some (abrasion marks and a small hole) in transport, the canvases got through fine inside with other hard- edged equipment, with no problems at all. I can't say the same for the small mixing glass I had wrapped in cloth in the center of the suitcase. They handled it so roughly that that broke.

In case anyone's interested I flew home with my paint tubes in my checked luggage (taped together in a plastic bag) and all came through fine. I did not fly with any flammables like turps though, those I just left behind.

Carl