My latest landscape painting with the Central Oregon theme has gone through a few tiny revisions here and there and I am resigned to accept it as being done. I've been ruminating on how to mount this painting, if at all. I am trying to not mount or frame every piece that I have completed ( the ones that speak to me anyways ) because I don't want to be hoarding all these pieces, collecting dust. Anyways this is one of those works that pulls me to the wall now and then and I feel like that it deserves a stage.
My last landscape painting, Chibi Nostalgia is mounted on canvas; the method I coined Xuan-Boo (Xuan paper on cloth). I like its presentation so much that I am going to make a companion for it. It just happens that both paintings share the same 1:2 aspect ratios. A lot of Xuan paper come in that native ratio, i.e. a 4 foot long piece would have a 2 foot width. My Chibi measures 18 in x 36 in and this new piece is a little junior to that, at 15 in x 30 in. I fashioned my canvas using a piece of canvas drop cloth wrapped around a wood frame and covered with gesso.
Starch is used for the wet mounting process.
The over-hang margin is tucked under the wooden frame and secured with starch. The over-hang conceals the bare canvas, and gives the piece a more "finished" appearance.
A dry broad stiff brush is used to pound on the surface, under the protection of a couple sheets of newspaper. This pounding process is my poor-man's press; it helps to form a good seal between the Xuan paper and the canvas. The newspaper also helps to wick up excess moisture and helps with the drying process.
The freshly pounded painting is left in a cool corner to dry. A slow drying process is preferred, as it ensures even drying and thus tightening of the paper. Quick, uneven drying can lead to warping of the frame with this mounting method.
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