Higher Possibility

The painting I am working on is the most important painting of my life. Perhaps borderline obsessive. I don't want to look back on a piece, several years from now, and think I should have done something different. This was probably the most cooperative piece I've painted yet. It came together so naturally. I envisioned something bold, and airy at the same time.

I stretch a canvas, large enough to wrap around the edges of the intended size. So, it's about 5 inches larger than the final size. I stretch it flat, stapled on thin plywood with 1" ridged insulation behind it. It's primed (gesso) several more times.

Here is where I knew I had something. It looks like a mess, I know. But, similar to how a parent sees their child, I can see the potential (when everyone else thinks it's out of control).

With the oversized canvas, it's difficult to compose the piece within the final size. I use a foam core border that shows, in this case, 24 x 36 inches.

I get the stretchers from a company in north Texas, because of the quality. Like most canvas stretcher bars, there are no fasteners but toung and groove joints (for expansion and contraction). Then I build a crossbar with pocket hole screws.

Preparing for the un-stretch from the board, then the final stretch on the bars. I will put the title, date, my name printed, and my signature on the back (with a Liquitex acrylic ink marker).

The final presentation. The edges are seamlessly painted. I will usually continue to paint some more at this point. When I've spent so much time working on a much larger piece, it looks a little different at this size. The foamcore border I used earlier was a valuable visualizing tool.