By Michael Damico

I’m a painter and I use stretched canvas exclusively. I used to get so frustrated with the way my easel locks onto my canvas. It would never clamp just right. It always seemed to let go, no matter how I positioned it. You see, I usually want my paint to run all the way to the edge, especially with canvases I have stretched for a gallery wrap. But they just wouldn’t stay put on the easel unless I positioned the canvas all the way back against the spine of the easel (which was always moving back or tilting to one side).

I kept trying to over-engineer my clamps. I’d use blocks, wood, or whatever nonsense I could find within arms’ reach of my chair. My goal was to allow the clamps to clear the canvas, yet still provide support. God, it was frustrating!

But then I found the Stephen Sawyer Canvas Bridge Easel Accessory and it solved everything. These are specifically designed so that you can paint from edge to edge. And they also prevent sagging. It’s officially one of the neatest things I’ve ever started using in my studio for stretched canvas. It’s a legitimately awesome product, to say the least. I would actually recommend buying several sizes and even buying a bunch of them. That way you can leave them in place while working on multiple pieces at once.

While there are many pros to using this stretched canvas bridge easel accessory, I have come across one potential con: You have to tack the product into the side edge of your stretched canvas. It’s not really a big problem for me because I can patch a pinhole or even paint over it easily with no trace of it having been there in the first place. But it might not work so easily with your projects. So, just be aware of this potential issue.

Stretched Canvas Easel Accessory Video Review

I even made you a video on how to use the accessory. Check it out and tell me what you think! Order your bridge accessory from Amazon.