It was about 3 months ago when I was approached by a client of mine with what looked like a challenging job based solely on the size of the piece. It measured 8 feet high and 14 feet wide. It was oil on canvas and my client’s client had requested a gallery wrap which simply means to be stretched over a stretcher frame with the staples being placed behind the frame so that the edges are clean and a continuation of the art work. It’s a very clean contemporary look with the option to frame at a later date.

The first thing I did was clean the floor as it was the only place we were going to safely view the piece. I then unrolled the piece on the floor and stared at it with amazement for about 5 minutes just thinking of all the challenges that might be faced in this project.

My first words to my client were “Where will this be hanging?” He said “It will be in the cafeteria of a corporate office.” I then asked him to visit his client with a measuring tape measuring every doorway he passes through corner to corner from the entrance of the building to the art pieces final resting place. He did exactly that later that afternoon. Shortly afterwards I received a phone call from my client. He was laughing. “7 feet” he said. “I thought so.” I said. In the meantime I had already assumed that this project was to be stretched on site and I had to design a 3 piece stretcher frame that was to be tied in together on site. (The power of a triangle!) Needless to say the project went off without a hitch and the employees at Coca-Cola Canada corporate offices can enjoy this enormous mural from the 2010 Olympics hanging in their beautiful lunch room.

I also enjoyed a bottle of coke from the cafeteria vending machine for $1.00! Man, it felt like it was the 80’s!