Spatula technique

In the early 2010s I started working on canvases using all kinds of palette knife-like tools. The spatula technique has its appeal in its high-contrast expressiveness and clear contours. It is even more demanding than the sponge technique because it is difficult to forgive mistakes and you cannot simply fill it with a spatula if an application of material does not meet the quality requirements. All spatula-like tools, from the small "cat's tongue" (a kind of mini trowel) to the large metal trowel or hard rubber squeegee, are characterized by relatively hard edges and demand an absolutely clean work surface without annoying dust and dirt particles. There is rarely a second attempt: either wipe off damp paint or, even worse, often re-cover the frame.

Over time, even the best quality commercially available linen-covered stretcher frames were no longer sufficient. The stretcher frames themselves are not warp-free enough, the pre-primed canvases can only be stretched to a certain extent so that the tools do not jam.

So I found a profile carpenter who, according to my specifications, supplied me with the distortion-free and cut profile wood for stronger stretcher frames.

I then assembled these not entirely inexpensive profiles made of American aspen into stretcher frames, which will probably survive the next few centuries if well cared for. I covered these stretcher frames with denim by the meter, primed them usually 3 to 4 times and sanded away the impurities, such as dust or hair, etc., with sandpaper after each drying period.

A stretcher frame built in this way can hardly be sold on the open market, as the very high quality would of course come at a price and would be unaffordable for many people.