When Will It End?!

When will it end?!?! It’s been winter for so long so very very long! These four walls are my protection from the biting cold but also the cage that I pace as I muter observations and accusations in the vernacular of the intoxicated sea goer. Beyond the window lies  frozen drifts, lakes of ice and frigid winds so treacherous that life would be untenable without these four walls. Somewhere on the distant horizon is fleeting spring, summer is a flash in the pan and autumn, autumn heralds the fall of leaves, plunging mercury, diminishing daylight and the ushering in of winter most foul.

I’ve never become friends with the coldest season. So I shut the blinds tight and turn inward to my cage, my gilded cage. These walls may protect me and confine me but they are so much more. For these walls are adorned with the visions of the artist, the soul of the dreamer. On these walls are memories of the moments that define me and images of places that I have not yet been. They hold family and friends, the past, the present and the future in a riot of colour that I can always count on, no matter what prevails beyond these walls.

So try your best winter, I will never embrace you, but you will never defeat me. These four walls have been fortified and energized to carry me far beyond your icy grip. They quiet my mind, they warm my heart and they soothe my ragged soul.

Contest

REWARD OFFERED

Our store has, of late, been graced with the presence of the precocious young Waldie. She’s clever, she’s quick and she is hard to find. If you can catch a glimpse of her on our website or Facebook page email us and we will enter your name for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Wall Décor and More. 

Oversize Canvas

Artwork that is painted or printed on canvas must be stretched around a wooden bar, known as Stretcher Bar.  Stretcher bar is available is various thicknesses and quality levels. It is always important to use a good quality bar, but the issue is of higher concern on larger size. Oversize pieces can become heavy and put a lot of strain on the bars. When artwork is very large, it is important that the stretcher bar is braced correctly…or THIS can happen!

We received this canvas from a customer who had recently moved to the city. Even though this canvas was of regular weight, the original braces were weak and when the artwork was transported, the braces broke apart.

It is important to note, that in this case, it was not just the braces that failed. The fragility of the wood used for the stretcher bar may have gone unnoticed by the original framer or artist. Even small knots or imperfections in the wood can be exacerbated by a change in temperature, especially in our dry climate! Using a strong, high quality stretcher bar is every bit as important as constructing and correctly placing solid braces.

We removed the canvas and a new stretcher bar was built with extra braces at key pressure points. We then re-stretched the canvas around this frame.

This second piece is the largest canvas that we have ever framed! It is also the heaviest, not just due to its size, but the material itself was thicker than normal. We built braces for it as described above and cut triangles from a strong board and attached them at each corner for added strength.

This beautiful canvas by local artist, Amy Dodic, provided a fun challenge for us. It was a team effort, requiring two people to stretch it and maneuver it around in our, suddenly, very small work area!

An additional factor for this canvas was the frame size. The standard length for framing material is 10ft - 12ft. Because the frame is cut at 45 degrees, wider frames require more length beyond the inside measurement. We made sure to select a frame available in a 12ft length and just barely made it!

Transportation was the final issue to address and we waved goodbye to this piece as it drove away in a horse trailer to its home at Fort Whoop Up National Historic Site, here in Lethbridge AB. 

This post by: Megan