Unstretchable brittle Claessens Canvas

[Mark Lovett]

Has anyone experienced old, brittle, double oil primed Claessens type 13 linen yet? This stuff will not stretch properly. I have tried everything and I still get slight ripples on the edges of my larger canvases 30x40 and 40x40's. It has been very frustrating.

I have spent hours stretching and restretching but nothing seems to work. I know it's not my stretching methods because I have no preoblems with other canvas. I purchased 3 rolls from Utrecht about a year ago. They said it was the last of their batch. I was told later that the fresh oil primed canvas is the way to go. I guess alot of people use the acrylic primed linen because I think it is much easier to stretch.

I didnt know that there was a problem with the canvas until I had been using it for quite a while. I kept thinking that there was something wrong with me. However, as time progressed I finally realized it was the age and brittle nature of the canvas that left it with no ability to strecht.

Now I am left with some fully painted canvases with rippling on the edges that cannot be removed. I also have about 1 1/2 rolls left and need some canvas to paint on.

I'm trying to decide what to do right now. This problem canvas has left me so frustrated that I will consider purchasing prestreched canvas for the larger sizes like 30x40 but I dont know what pro quality prestretched is the best way to go.

It seems difficult for me to buy a full roll of canvas that is not problematic. Often I cant tell that it's a problem until I'm half way into the roll, and waste half a day messing with it, and that's no good.

I recently have tried the Raymar linen panels and I love them for smaller sizes. However right now I need large finely woven linen canvases 30x40 ,40x40 etc..ripple free, tight as a drum, and on reasonable 3/4" stretchers so I can frame them easily but dont know how or where to get them.


Any ideas, comments of shared experience will be appreciated. Also, for those of you who are very pleased with your 30x40" painting surfaces please tell me what works for you.

Thanks so much in advance.
Mark

[Richard Monro]

Mark,

Take luke warm, distilled water in a spray bottle and gently spray the back of the canvas. Don't saturate the canvas with water. All you want is a little moisture. It will cause the linen to tighten up. it should take out all of your stretch marks and won't harm the support or the painting.

[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.