About six months ago, I decided to begin printing my artwork on canvas. This transition was not the smoothest process. I frequently scoured the internet for information and visited forums to ask many questions. However, more often than not, the answers were found through trial and error. In light of this, I wanted to share what I learned in a series of blog posts to help others navigate this process.

For about six years now, I have been a show artist who travels around the country selling my work. My work has always been framed and displayed under glass. There are several disadvantages to this process. First, the art is under glass or plexiglass, which can dull the colors and cast distracting reflections if you don’t use anti-glare materials. Second, even with the best selections of frame and mat colors, your chances of coordinating with your customer’s colors are slim. Third, glass is heavy and breaks easily. Lastly, framing materials continue to increase in cost and become a difficult expense to control.

The benefit of canvas is that it is all about the art. No frame, no glass, no reflections to distract. In addition, if you take the time to wrap your image around the sides of your stretcher bars, it adds depth and dimension to your work. I can honestly say, customers love buying art in this format.

Moving to canvas was clearly the right choice for me. The gallery-wrapped pieces started selling immediately. The vibrant colors jumped off the canvas and captured the attention of many more buyers than ever before. Because I do all the printing and stretching myself, I can offer my work affordably while making increased profits over framing.

In this series, I plan to share the processes used to create my final products. The next post in the series will be about the printing process and paper choices used.