Round, oval & arched canvas stretcher & strainer frames

 

Round canvas stretchers

We make round, oval, and arched frames and, with our CNC technology, we can produce any unusual shapes you can come up with!

While most shaped frames are made as strainers, we also fabricate true “keyable” oval or round stretcher frames and canvases (and, to our knowledge, are the only company to do so!). All of our shaped supports are designed with a front fall or slope, to keep the canvas from contacting the frame except at the very edge.

We work with some of North America's most talented and ambitious artists, and have made round canvas frames and other shaped stretchers over 19 feet in diameter by laminating plywood sections cut on the CNC router. Our larger frames always include cross-braces for added support, and we can supply gravity bars for secure installation.

As with all of our products, we guarantee the highest quality materials and craftsmanship.

 

Curious about the cost of a shaped stretcher or strainer frame? Click here to see some examples.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

"Stretcher" frames are keyable, allowing for additional tightening of the canvas after stretching to achieve and maintain ideal tension throughout the lifetime of the artwork.

"Strainer" frames are fixed.

Framed Round Canvases - Have you heard about our Impress Frames?

Round and oval stretched canvases are a perennial favourite but the cost can add up, especially if you want a custom floater frame to go with it. With this in mind, the creative people at Upper Canada Stretchers developed a brand new system that allows us to offer exactly that in a simple, quick-to-assemble, beautiful, and cost-effective product!

Impress Frames are available as pre-stretched Canvases (ready to paint) or Stretchers (for prints on canvas or existing paintings) in round or oval up to 30". Learn more about this revolutionary new system or order online by choosing from the links below!

 

Upper Canada Stretchers is now offering LARGE round canvas strainers through our online store!

Available in 30", 3-ft, 4-ft, 5-ft, 6-ft, 7-ft, and 8-ft sizes (30", 36", 48", 60", 72", 84", and 96"), we've redesigned the way we make these large shaped strainer frames to make them more affordable. Precision-cut sectional designs assemble quickly and easily (as little as 10 minutes!) while allowing for less waste and much more cost-effective shipping, saving you money!

Shop LARGE Round Canvas Strainer Frames now

 

Single-piece SMALL round strainer frames (12", 18" & 24") are also available!

Shop SMALL Round Canvas Strainer Frames now

Learn how to asssemble Large Round Strainer Frames here.

Large 6-ft round canvas strainer frame

Keyable Shaped Stretcher Frames - Now more affordable!

Upper Canada Stretchers has changed the way we make our keyable shaped stretchers, making them faster and easier to produce and, thus, more affordable for our clients! Re-stretching existing paintings, tightening an old one, adding tension during the artist’s process - there are myriad advantages to keyable stretchers. Now we can add keys to any shape well-suited to the stretching process.

Contact us for a quote and to discuss how we can help with your next shaped art piece!

Keyable Oval Stretcher Frame from Upper Canada Stretchers

Keyable Oval Stretcher from Upper Canada Stretchers

 

Tip for Stretching a Shaped Canvas...

 

When using shaped frames, we recommend that unprimed cotton or linen canvas be stretched first and then primed. The unprimed canvas is far more flexible and can be pulled tight around curved edges without creating folds in the canvas. These photos show unprimed canvas stretched on a 60” round frame and a 38"x48" teardrop frame. The visible edges are free of any folds but the folds are quite pronounced on the back side of the frame.

The thicker the frame, the more difficult it is to avoid folds in the canvas along the edges. For this reason, we try to keep most shaped frames to 1-1/2” or less in thickness.

6ft Round Canvas Frame

shaped canvas stretched with unprimed canvas to help achieve smooth edges

See some of the round, oval, arched & shaped frames we have produced for artists like you!